GENEVA — A UN investigation has documented how transnational networks operating across several countries, including transit points in Somalia’s northern port city of Bosaso, have recruited, trained and deployed foreign personnel to support the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, while also facilitating weapons transfers and logistical support.

The report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, titled “Fuelling Sudan’s conflict: weapons, fighters and external support networks,” found that external support is sustaining military operations and expanding the capabilities of both parties to the conflict, with grave consequences for civilians.

“The consequences of this external support are being felt most acutely by civilians,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, Chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “This external support has not brought greater protection for civilians. Instead, civilians are paying the price through attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets and places of refuge.”

Bosaso Identified as Transit Hub

The report found reasonable grounds to believe that private entities, logistics intermediaries, and recruiters operating from countries including Colombia and the United Arab Emirates used transit locations in Chad, southeastern Libya, and Bosaso in Somalia to facilitate the delivery of personnel, training, weapons, and logistics to the RSF in Sudan.

Evidence indicates that Bosaso functioned as a recurring logistical hub and transit point used by external actors, including United Arab Emirates-based individuals and entities, for personnel and cargo destined for RSF-controlled areas.

Witnesses described Ilyushin-76 cargo flights linking Bosaso, Kufra, Benghazi, and Chad, from which cargo and personnel were subsequently transferred into Sudan. Witnesses further reported that United Arab Emirates-based individuals and entities maintained facilities in Bosaso, including a military base through which foreign contractors transited.

Despite repeated efforts, Somalia did not provide a substantive response to the mission’s request for information regarding these activities.

Colombian Contractors and Drone Warfare

The Mission documented the deployment of up to 2,000 former Colombian military contractors who directly operated combat drones, artillery, and advanced weapons alongside RSF units in Darfur and Kordofan.

Witnesses reported that Colombian contractors played a significant role in operating and maintaining surveillance, strike and one-way attack drones, supporting artillery deployment and other advanced weapons systems, and providing intelligence, technical maintenance and military instruction.

Several sources indicated that Colombian contractors, particularly members of the “Desert Wolves” Battalion, were present in and around El-Fasher before, during, and after its takeover by the RSF.

Foreign suppliers have substantially enhanced the drone capabilities of both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), enabling them to strike far beyond front lines. The report found reasonable grounds to believe that the SAF used foreign-supplied drones in operations that harmed civilians and civilian objects.

Documented Attacks and War Crimes

Documented drone attacks included RSF strikes in Kalogi, South Kordofan, which killed 114 people, including around 60 children, and SAF strikes in Ad-Da’ein, East Darfur, which killed at least 70 people and destroyed a major hospital.

Repeated RSF drone strikes in El Obeid, North Kordofan, especially between July and August 2026, progressively degraded essential infrastructure in a city already under severe strain and partial siege.

The Mission found reasonable grounds to believe that these attacks constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and may amount to war crimes.

The report stressed that continued external support despite well-documented violations raises serious concerns under international law.

Bad Timing for Puntland’s President Deni

The UN report’s identification of Bosaso as a transit hub comes at a politically sensitive time for Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, who is already facing sharp criticism from Mogadishu over the resurgence of piracy off Somalia’s coast.

Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi has accused Deni of encouraging pirates to demand ransom through recent statements about hijacked vessels off the Puntland coast. Speaking at the National Internal Security Conference in Mogadishu, Fiqi said Deni had issued a statement that defended pirates and could encourage further ransom demands.

“It is astonishing that the man in charge of the administration has issued a statement defending the pirates, saying that they received money, and telling those who are holding ships to demand money as well,” Fiqi said.

The dispute centers on the release of the Cameroon-flagged MV LUTUF, which was hijacked by armed pirates off Puntland’s coast on August 17. The federal government claimed Somali and Turkish forces freed the vessel through a military operation, while Puntland authorities disputed that account and alleged a ransom was paid to secure its release.

Fiqi urged governments whose ships are held not to pay ransom, warning that “every dollar you pay to the pirates will further finance this criminal activity.” He also questioned why pirates operate freely in Puntland, saying authorities know the identities and locations of those involved in piracy.

“It is impossible for a pirate who came from the mainland to move around freely when his identity is known, the neighbourhood where he lives is known, and the cities where he operates are known, yet nothing is being done about him,” Fiqi said.

The allegations against Deni come amid a broader deterioration in relations between Puntland and the federal government, with Deni having previously accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of “openly creating pirates” and dismantling Somalia’s federal system. The Puntland leader has also accused foreign countries of using the resurgence of piracy as a pretext to deploy forces to Puntland’s waters and exploit the region’s marine resources.

The federal government has also accused Deni of facilitating piracy and embarrassing Somalia, further straining relations between Mogadishu and Garowe.

Critical Note

The identification of Bosaso as a transit point in the UN report places Somalia in an uncomfortable position, highlighting the challenges of monitoring and controlling the movement of weapons and personnel through its territory. While the Somali government has been focused on its own security challenges and the fight against Al-Shabaab, the report suggests that its territory has been used to facilitate a foreign conflict with devastating humanitarian consequences.

The lack of a substantive response from Somalia to the mission’s request for information raises questions about the government’s awareness and capacity to address these activities. The Puntland authorities, who administer Bosaso, must investigate these allegations and take measures to prevent the use of their territory for illicit military transfers.

The report also underscores the limitations of the Darfur arms embargo, which applies only to that region. The Mission has called on the Security Council to extend the embargo throughout Sudan, a step that would close a significant legal loophole. The international community must act on these findings, not only by imposing sanctions but also by providing technical and financial support to countries like Somalia to strengthen border and port controls and prevent their territories from being used to fuel conflicts in the region.

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