Ethiopian Fighters in Sudan Reported Among RSF Ranks
Ethiopian fighters in Sudan have been identified among foreign nationals serving with the Rapid Support Forces, according to a United Nations fact-finding mission investigating foreign fighters, weapons and support networks fueling Sudan’s war.
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan said witnesses reported fighters from Ethiopia, South Sudan and Chad serving primarily in frontline roles with the RSF.
The findings were included in the mission’s report, Fuelling Sudan’s conflict: weapons, fighters and external support networks, submitted to the UN Human Rights Council on September 1, 2026.
According to Addis Standard, witnesses identified Ethiopian nationals in El Fasher and other locations through factors including language, accent and, in some cases, uniforms.
The reported foreign fighters included both men and women. Investigators said Ethiopian, South Sudanese and Chadian nationals were generally described as serving in frontline combat roles, while some other foreign personnel provided more specialized military support.
The findings do not establish that the Ethiopian government recruited, deployed or supported the Ethiopian nationals identified by witnesses.
That distinction is particularly important because allegations concerning Ethiopia’s possible connection to the RSF have become increasingly sensitive as Sudan’s conflict moves closer to the Ethiopian border.
The UN mission said it sent a formal request for information to the Ethiopian government on June 11, 2026, seeking cooperation with its investigation into illicit activities connected to Sudan’s conflict.
According to the mission, no response had been received from Ethiopian authorities by the time the report was prepared.
Investigators urged Ethiopia and other states connected to the findings to engage with the mission and provide information that could help establish how foreign fighters are being recruited, transported and deployed.
The new findings add another dimension to concerns over the increasing internationalization of Sudan’s civil war.
A broader UN investigation reported this week that foreign weapons, military technology, fighters and logistical networks are strengthening the capabilities of Sudan’s warring parties. Reuters reported that investigators found grounds to believe networks involving individuals and entities in the United Arab Emirates, Chad, Libya and Somalia supplied the RSF with weapons, equipment, logistics, training and foreign personnel.
The mission also documented the deployment of Colombian military contractors who reportedly helped operate advanced weapons and drone systems for the RSF.
Foreign involvement has become increasingly important as the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF expand their use of long-range drones. The UN mission said more than 1,000 people were killed in drone attacks during the first five months of 2026, with both sides accused of attacks affecting civilian areas.
For Ethiopia, the latest finding comes amid growing concern about military activity along the Sudan-Ethiopia frontier.
Kulu Media recently reported that Yale researchers identified a major military buildup at an ENDF base in Asosa, close to Sudan’s Blue Nile State. Satellite imagery showed around 100 newly present light technical vehicles and additional military-related equipment at the site between August 23 and August 28.
Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab assessed that the activity was associated with the RSF and warned of the possibility of a significant attack toward Ad-Damazin in Sudan’s Blue Nile State.
However, the satellite imagery did not independently establish who controlled every vehicle or piece of equipment at the Asosa base, and the evidence did not by itself prove direct Ethiopian government support for the RSF.
The reported presence of Ethiopian fighters in Sudan should therefore also be treated separately from allegations of state involvement. The UN findings concern the nationality of individuals reportedly observed serving with the RSF, rather than a finding that Ethiopia has deployed forces to support the paramilitary group.
The developments nevertheless add to a growing regional security picture.
Kulu Media has previously reported how Sudan war regional tensions are increasingly intersecting with Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tigray, including military activity around the Sudan-Ethiopia border and competing regional relationships with Sudan’s warring parties.
Sudan’s war began in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.
More than three years of fighting have produced one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing millions of people and devastating communities across Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and other parts of Sudan.
Efforts to find a political settlement have also struggled. A recent Sudan peace initiative received African Union backing but faced opposition from major civilian and political groups, illustrating the continuing divisions over how negotiations should proceed.
The identification of Ethiopian nationals among RSF foreign fighters now raises additional questions about recruitment networks operating across Sudan’s borders and whether neighboring governments can help investigators determine how foreign nationals are reaching the battlefield.
The UN mission is calling for greater cooperation from countries linked to its investigation as it continues examining foreign fighters, weapons transfers and other external support sustaining Sudan’s war.