Desert Wolves

The Desert Wolves are a private mercenary battalion of retired Colombian Armed Forces personnel fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the ongoing Sudanese civil war.[1] It consists of four companies comprising between 300 and 400 mercenaries in total. The first company arrived in Al-Fashir, North Darfur, in November 2024.[2]

According to the Noticias Caracol news program, the battalion was recruited by private military companies including the security contractor Global Security Service Group in the United Arab Emirates under the coordination of Álvaro Quijano, a retired colonel of the Colombian Army.[3][4] According to Sudan Events, Emirati firms have previously deployed Colombian ex-soldiers in Yemen, Libya, and Somalia.[4] Responding to accusations from Sudanese government authorities, a UAE official denied the allegations and called them fabricated.[5]

Reportedly, the mercenaries were tricked into fighting for the RSF in Sudan under the pretense of providing security to oil-drilling sites.[2]

References

  1. ^ Farmer, Ben (August 4, 2025). "Colombian mercenaries hired to fight for Sudan rebels". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Rodríguez Álvarez, Santiago (April 8, 2025). "Sudan: How Colombian mercenaries were duped into fighting in a brutal civil war". The Africa Report. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  3. ^ "Coronel retirado del Ejército es señalado como reclutador de mercenarios colombianos para la guerra en Sudán" [Retired Army colonel is accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries for the war in Sudan]. El Heraldo (in Spanish). Agencia EFE. August 18, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Al-Makki, Sabah (August 19, 2025). "Colombian Mercenaries in Darfur: Foreign Flames in a Proxy War". Sudan Events. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  5. ^ Wallis, William; Daniels, Joe (10 September 2025). "Sudan accuses UAE of sponsoring mercenaries to fight for rebels". Financial Times. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
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