Sudan child soldiers reveal Colombian mercenaries' role in RSF war

Six former child soldiers who were abducted and forced to fight with Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) described being shackled to an anti‑aircraft gun and ordered to fire at Sudanese warplanes over Khartoum. The teenagers, now teenagers, recounted beatings, constant restraints and the terror of being used as human shields.

Their testimonies said two of the children were trained by Colombian mercenaries hired through a state‑linked firm in the United Arab Emirates. Human‑rights groups and Sudan’s army accuse the UAE of supplying weapons to the RSF, a claim the UAE denies. A United Nations panel reported tracking arms shipments from the Gulf to the RSF. The accounts highlight the broader use of child soldiers by all sides in Sudan’s fourth‑year war and raise new concerns about foreign mercenary involvement.