Local sources and eyewitnesses have confirmed to Darfur24 that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have brought in foreign fighters and experts to bolster their operations, including training personnel on the use of drones and jamming systems.
According to multiple testimonies, at least 300 fighters from South Sudan have been stationed in Nyala over the past three months, housed in former government buildings. Witnesses reported seeing them in RSF uniforms, riding motorbikes through markets, and some receiving treatment for injuries in local medical centers.
Many of the South Sudanese recruits were formerly part of the Sudanese Armed Forces before the 2011 secession, particularly in artillery units. They were said to be the largest group of foreign fighters, followed by recruits from Chad, the Central African Republic, and Libya, including drone specialists.
Additionally, sources reported the presence of Colombian experts tasked with training RSF commanders on drones, electronic warfare, and air-defense monitoring. More than 200 Colombians were said to be based east of Nyala, with others stationed at training camps in Dumaya, Mazlqan, and the former UNAMID headquarters. Somali fighters trained as special forces were also reported among RSF ranks.
The testimonies pointed to multiple training camps supervised jointly by foreign experts and a defected Sudanese army officer, Colonel Osman Belo, in and around Nyala, with recruitment hubs in several nearby towns before the fighters are deployed to larger training sites.
