According to confidential corporate records and leaked recruitment documents analyzed by the watchdog group, a UAE-registered private military company — Global Security Services Group (GSSG) — allegedly supplied hundreds of Colombian fighters to the RSF and was involved in the training of child soldiers in Darfur.
GSSG is owned by Emirati businessman Mohamed Hamdan Al-Zaabi, whom The Sentry identifies as a longtime business partner of Ahmed Mohamed Al-Humairi, the Secretary-General of the UAE Presidential Court — a position equivalent to the White House Chief of Staff in the United States.
The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, has been accused by the United Nations and multiple human rights organizations of committing atrocities, including mass killings of civilians, ethnic cleansing, sexual violence, and the forced recruitment of child soldiers since the outbreak of Sudan’s war in April 2023.
Mercenary pipeline from Colombia to Sudan
The investigation reveals that, from at least 2024, GSSG partnered with a Colombian recruitment agency — the International Services Agency (A4SI) — to transfer former Colombian soldiers to Sudan through complex offshore financial networks.
A4SI is reportedly controlled by retired Colombian colonel Álvaro Quijano, although the firm is officially registered under his wife, Claudia Oliveros. Financial records indicate that salaries for the mercenaries were routed through a Panama-based company, Global Staffing S.A., also linked to Oliveros.
Leaked contracts published by Colombian outlet La Silla Vacía authorize GSSG to manage payments and deployment arrangements. Some Colombian recruits reportedly confirmed to local media that they had been sent to Sudan on behalf of the UAE-based firm and trained RSF fighters — including minors — in advanced warfare tactics, drone operations, and urban combat.
Pattern of UAE-linked military contracting
The Sentry suggests that the operation fits into a broader pattern of UAE involvement in foreign military contracting. Previous investigations have tied Emirati-linked firms to the deployment of foreign fighters in Yemen and Libya.
Corporate records reviewed by The Sentry show that GSSG was originally established in 2016 by Al-Humairi, before ownership was transferred to Al-Zaabi in 2017. Both men reportedly hold stakes in multiple security and defense-related companies.
The UAE Presidential Court — chaired by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE Vice President and brother to Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, the National Security Advisor — has not been directly accused of wrongdoing. However, The Sentry notes that Al-Zaabi’s close ties to government circles raise “questions about high-level awareness” of the company’s activities.
Denials and diplomatic fallout
The UAE government has consistently denied allegations of providing mercenaries or military support to the RSF, dismissing previous reports as “fabricated and politically motivated.”
In September 2025, the Government of Sudan lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council, accusing the UAE of “meddling in the war” and specifically naming GSSG and A4SI in its petition.
In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned what he described as mercenarismo (mercenary activity) and issued a public apology to Sudan, pledging a full investigation into Colombian nationals implicated in the affair.
Calls for accountability
The Sentry is urging the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom to investigate and, if warranted, sanction Mohamed Hamdan Al-Zaabi, Álvaro Quijano, Claudia Oliveros, and the companies A4SI and Global Staffing S.A. The watchdog further calls on global banks to apply enhanced due diligence to financial transactions involving UAE-based private security firms.
The ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. Fighting has intensified in El-Fasher and other parts of Darfur in recent months, sparking growing fears of a looming genocide.
The Sentry reports that Al-Zaabi, Al-Humairi, Quijano, Oliveros, Sheikh Tahnoun, and Sheikh Mansour did not respond to requests for comment.
