A confidential UN report links a UAE-based security company to the recruitment and movement of Colombian mercenaries through Somalia and Libya to fight alongside Sudan's paramilitary RSF, with Bosaso identified as a transit point.
UN investigators said Global Security Services Group (GSSG), a security company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, recruited the Colombian fighters and facilitated their movement to Sudan. The findings were submitted to the UN Security Council on October 30, according to the newspaper, which obtained a copy of the report.
The company says it provides security for UAE embassies and other diplomatic facilities on behalf of the country's foreign affairs and presidential affairs ministries.
The UAE has repeatedly denied supporting either side in Sudan's conflict. According to The New York Times, Abu Dhabi told the United Nations that GSSG had not deployed mercenaries to Sudan.
The allegations have emerged as Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's candidate for the position of UN secretary-general, faces scrutiny over her country's role in the conflict and its response to accusations of supporting the RSF.
Bosaso identified as transit route
A separate UN fact-finding investigation into Sudan's war has identified Bosaso, the main port city in Somalia's Puntland region, as a transit point for foreign fighters travelling to Sudan.
Mohamed Chande Othman, chairman of the fact-finding committee, told a UN body on October 28 that a network involved in transporting foreign fighters had also supplied weapons, drone technology and personnel to RSF-controlled areas, including Nyala in Darfur.
Human Rights Watch said a Colombian contractor told the organisation he had spent about 10 days in Bosaso in March 2025 with a group of nearly 40 people. He said the group later travelled to Sudan through the UAE and Chad.
The rights organisation verified two videos recorded by the contractor, saying they were filmed near a Puntland Maritime Police Force facility close to Bosaso airport.
Puntland authorities denied in November 2025 that Bosaso airport had served as a base for flights linked to Sudan's conflict.
Somalia's federal government told Reuters in September that it had not authorised either side in the Sudanese war to use Somali territory for military activities. It acknowledged, however, that information-sharing between the federal government and regional administrations was incomplete.
Colombian fighters linked to fall of El-Fasher
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The UN fact-finding committee said Colombian fighters known as the Desert Wolves operated drones and received training from RSF personnel.
Othman said the fighters played an "indispensable role" in the capture of El-Fasher in October 2025, the last major city in Darfur held by Sudanese army forces.
Investigators documented mass killings and attacks targeting non-Arab communities during and after the offensive, saying the abuses bore "the hallmarks of genocide".
"All those responsible for international crimes must be investigated, including those who order, finance, supply or otherwise facilitate them," said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, a member of the committee.
The investigators have urged the UN Security Council to extend its arms embargo on Darfur to cover all of Sudan. Bahrain's opposition reportedly prevented the publication of a July report by experts monitoring the embargo, according to The New York Times. The UAE has denied attempting to influence a Security Council member.
Sudan's war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The army controls the capital, Khartoum, while the paramilitary group holds much of Darfur. Fighting continues in neighbouring Kordofan.
The UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration said on Friday that approximately 15.4 million people in Sudan needed emergency shelter and essential household supplies, as humanitarian agencies struggle with severe funding shortages.
UAE candidate faces questions
Nusseibeh, a former UAE ambassador to the United Nations, faced questions about her country's position during a UN General Assembly meeting on October 27.
She said she had taken leave from her ministerial position and directed questions about the UAE's role in Sudan to her government.
She also pledged to support UN fact-finding committees investigating the conflict.
The allegations add to international scrutiny of foreign involvement in Sudan's war, which has triggered one of the world's largest humanitarian crises and left millions displaced.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
