Foreign fighters and support networks are fueling the conflict in Sudan and worsening violence against civilians, a UN-backed investigation warned Thursday.
The United Nations' independent fact-finding mission on Sudan said foreign involvement was strengthening the military capabilities of the country's warring parties, enabling increasingly sophisticated military operations, with devastating consequences for ordinary people.
Since April 2023, the conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes.
In a report, the probe documented the recruitment, training and deployment of foreign personnel to support the RSF, with transnational entities also facilitating the transfer of weapons, ammunition, military technology and logistical support.
It also said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the regular army used foreign-supplied drones in its operations that harmed civilians and civilian infrastructure.
"This external support has not brought greater protection for civilians," said the fact-finding mission's chairman Mohamad Chande Othman.
"Instead, civilians are paying the price through attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets and places of refuge."
The UN Human Rights Council established the probe in October 2023, to begin gathering evidence of violations in Sudan.
The independent investigative team does not speak on behalf of the United Nations.
- Colombian contingent -
The investigation documented the deployment of up to 2,000 ex-military Colombian contractors who directly operated combat drones, artillery and advanced weapons alongside RSF units.
Witnesses also reported fighters from South Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia, "including women, serving primarily in frontline, rather than technical roles", identified by language, accent "and, in some cases uniforms", the report said.
Private entities, intermediaries and recruiters operating from countries including Colombia used transit locations in Chad, Libya and Somalia to facilitate the delivery of personnel, training, weapons and logistics to the RSF in Sudan, the report said.
It found that foreign suppliers had boosted the RSF and the army's drone capabilities, allowing them to strike far beyond the front lines.
The mission found reasonable grounds to believe that the army and RSF attacks it documented may amount to war crimes.
The United States last month urged the UN Security Council to expand an arms embargo on the Darfur region to cover all of Sudan -- a call echoed by the fact-finding mission.
"Protecting Sudan's civilians requires action not only against those fighting the war, but also against the individuals, entities and networks that enable it to continue," said Chande Othman.
