{"id":2219,"date":"2026-07-30T15:45:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T15:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2219"},"modified":"2026-07-30T15:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T15:45:17","slug":"ap-exclusive-child-soldiers-recount-horrors-of-sudans-war-and-presence-of-colombian-mercenaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2219","title":{"rendered":"AP Exclusive: Child soldiers recount horrors of Sudan\u2019s war and presence of Colombian mercenaries"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) \u2014 The teenage boy\u2019s hands and legs were shackled to the anti-aircraft gun mounted on a pickup as <span>Sudanese warplanes<\/span> attacked. He saw another child chained to the steering wheel.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2205\">PHOTO ESSAY: Palestinian shepherds endure life alongside Israeli settler outposts<\/a><\/p><p>As their captors sought cover, the terrified children were ordered to stay and shoot down the jets over the capital, Khartoum. If they tried to flee, they\u2019d be killed by their captors \u2014 if the planes didn\u2019t get them first.<\/p><p>The boy, now 17, told The Associated Press that those who ordered him strapped to the gun were <span>Colombian mercenaries<\/span> providing military aid to Sudan\u2019s <span>Rapid Support Forces<\/span> against the army in the war, <span>now in its fourth year<\/span>. Another child said he was forced to carry out artillery strikes and beaten for disobedience.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The rare, firsthand accounts show the perils faced by tens of thousands of children believed to have been conscripted into the war by all sides. Six former child soldiers who were abducted and forced to fight with the Rapid Support Forces, known as the RSF, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Two said they were trained by Colombians.<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"(AP Illustration \/ Peter Hamlin)\" class=\"wp-image-2213\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c789404882b1a784fd27be418e4db1e7-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c789404882b1a784fd27be418e4db1e7-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c789404882b1a784fd27be418e4db1e7-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c789404882b1a784fd27be418e4db1e7.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>Their accounts point to a wider deployment of <span>Colombian mercenaries<\/span>, who rights groups say were recruited by a state-linked firm in the United Arab Emirates to fight with the RSF. Human rights groups and Sudan\u2019s military accuse the UAE of arming the RSF, and a U.N. panel said it had tracked weapons shipments to the RSF originating in the Gulf federation <span>that includes Dubai<\/span>.<\/p><p>The UAE did not respond to multiple requests for comment. It has previously denied arming the RSF, saying the shipments in question were of humanitarian aid for refugees.<\/p>\n<p>The boy who had been shackled to the gun burst into tears as he ran his hand over scars from the some 18 months he was forced to fight.<\/p><p>\u201cI was extremely scared. I just wanted to escape and go home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<!-- AP \"Read More\" embed (place mid-article) -->\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The children were shackled day and night<\/h2><p>He said he was rounded up by RSF fighters in a market in Khartoum\u2019s twin city of Omdurman, where he was selling cigarettes. The paramilitaries were searching for deserters and seized him by mistake, he said. He was 15 at the time.<\/p><p>Never having held a gun, he was thrust onto the front lines in Khartoum. Scars on his head and under his eye mark where he says he was hit by shrapnel.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<!-- AP Morning Wire Newsletter Embed (self-contained) -->\n<div>\n<!-- Red AP Prompt Bar -->\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<strong>Sign up for Morning Wire:<\/strong>\n    Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.\n  <\/div>\n<form>\n<input\/>\n<div>\n<div>\n<label>Email address<\/label>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<label>\n<input\/>\n<span>\n          By checking this box, you agree to AP&#8217;s\n          Terms of Use\n          and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our\n          Privacy Policy.\n        <\/span>\n<\/label>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>He was later taken to an RSF base in Omdurman known as Central Reserve Camp, where he was held with dozens of other children. Their hands were bound all the time, even while eating.<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"(AP Illustration \/ Peter Hamlin)\" class=\"wp-image-2214\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/d315472103131ba3a9ca5df53cc7fa23-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/d315472103131ba3a9ca5df53cc7fa23-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/d315472103131ba3a9ca5df53cc7fa23-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/d315472103131ba3a9ca5df53cc7fa23.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>\u201cWe weren\u2019t allowed to bathe. Instead, they would pour water over us while we were still bound,\u201d he said.<\/p><p>He said dozens of foreign mercenaries were at the base, described as Colombians by the RSF fighters there. Speaking through translators, they taught the children how to use anti-aircraft guns. They told RSF fighters to bind the children to the weapons so they couldn\u2019t escape, he said.<\/p><p>\u201cWhen the planes flew overhead, the Colombians would retreat to their bunkers, leaving us outside shackled to the vehicles,\u201d the teenager said. He was forced to fire, but he said he was too afraid and never hit anything.<\/p><h2>A second boy recounts beatings, and a friend\u2019s killing<\/h2><p>The second boy described how, at age 15, he was held at an RSF camp called al-Konan, where he said Colombians trained him and other boys on heavy artillery and drones.<\/p><p>He said he was locked up and only brought out for artillery strikes. The Colombians and the RSF used drones to choose targets, and sometimes he saw civilians through the camera. When he refused to fire, they would beat him, sometimes with an electric baton. In one case, he said, a Colombian beat him unconscious.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>An 18-year-old friend tried to flee and was shot dead by the RSF. He carried the body away.<\/p><p>\u201cI still have nightmares whenever I try to sleep,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<!-- AP News Tips Embed \u2014 Design 3 (dark card) -->\n<!-- Icons: Lucide (MIT License) \u2014 https:\/\/lucide.dev -->\n<div>\n<!-- Header bar -->\n<div>\n<!-- info (Lucide MIT) -->\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<span>Have a news tip?<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<!-- Introduction -->\n<div>\n<h2>Tell our investigators<\/h2>\n<p>AP\u2019s global investigative team accepts tips securely and confidentially. Choose the method that works best for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<!-- Contact methods -->\n<div>\n<!-- mail (Lucide MIT) -->\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<div>\n<span>Email<\/span>\n<span><span>[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<!-- chevron-right (Lucide MIT) -->\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<!-- Signal deep link: verify URL with AP Investigates team before publishing -->\n<!-- smartphone (Lucide MIT) \u2014 generic substitute; Signal brand mark is trademarked -->\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<div>\n<span>Signal<\/span>\n<span>+1 (202) 281-8604<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<!-- Confidentiality note -->\n<div>\n<!-- shield-check (Lucide MIT) -->\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<span>Secure and confidential<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"(AP Illustration \/ Peter Hamlin)\" class=\"wp-image-2215\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/656eaf146c6f1b631d8ea535088483be-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/656eaf146c6f1b631d8ea535088483be-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/656eaf146c6f1b631d8ea535088483be-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/656eaf146c6f1b631d8ea535088483be.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>Both children spoke at a facility run by the military-backed government on Khartoum\u2019s outskirts, where more than 200 former child soldiers were being rehabilitated. Many fell into the hands of the military when it retook the capital from the RSF over the past year.<\/p><p>A member of the military media office accompanied the AP during the visit. The official did not choose who the AP interviewed. The AP retains full editorial control of its content.<\/p><h2>Veterans of Colombia\u2019s long wars have hired themselves out<\/h2><p>The AP could not independently verify the boys\u2019 accounts, which are consistent with other reporting on the conflict. Multiple countries are entangled in Sudan\u2019s conflict, and other foreigners, <span>including Russians and Ukrainians<\/span>, have taken part in hostilities.<\/p><p>Some 10,000 Colombians have hired themselves out for foreign wars, including in Somalia, Ukraine and Sudan, according to the U.N. Colombia\u2019s decades of <span>internal conflict<\/span>, involving guerrillas, paramilitaries and drug traffickers, have produced a large cadre of veterans prized for their U.S.-backed military training and driven abroad by meager pensions and scarce civilian job prospects.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2157\">Cooler weather and potential rain move into the French region torched by wildfires<\/a><\/p><p>A recent law bars Colombians from fighting in foreign conflicts, but veteran groups say recruitment has continued.<\/p><p>Human Rights Watch and Conflict Insights Group, a private research firm, have documented the presence of Colombian mercenaries alongside the RSF in Sudan\u2019s western region of Darfur, including during the October capture of El Fasher, where RSF fighters have been accused of <span>mass killings<\/span>.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In separate reports this year, Human Rights Watch and Conflict Insights Group said the Colombians were hired by an Emirati contractor and trained in Emirati military bases. The UAE denied those allegations at the time, telling the BBC it had no involvement in recruiting or training foreign fighters and that it would investigate and prosecute any entity suspected of doing so.<\/p><p>A Colombian mercenary who fought in Darfur for six months in 2025 told the AP that hundreds of Colombians were on the front lines with the RSF at the time and involved in training recruits. He said he saw children as young as 13 fighting with the RSF. He spoke on condition of anonymity, concerned over legal consequences.<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"(AP Illustration \/ Peter Hamlin)\" class=\"wp-image-2216\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/698219bcc2dc7b7c0c22ab2bd40d432d-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/698219bcc2dc7b7c0c22ab2bd40d432d-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/698219bcc2dc7b7c0c22ab2bd40d432d-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/698219bcc2dc7b7c0c22ab2bd40d432d.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>Less is known of the Colombians\u2019 role in Khartoum. Ali Qader, the head of the rehabilitation center, said several children told him Colombians trained them at camps around the capital.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A former RSF fighter, who defected to the government side and spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said he saw Colombians training children in Khartoum in July 2024. A Sudanese military officer with knowledge of the situation said Colombians were training children in and around Khartoum when the RSF held the city. The officer was not authorized to brief reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.<\/p><p>The Colombian government said it has no official information confirming allegations that Colombians recruited or trained child soldiers in Sudan. It condemned such abuses.<\/p><h2>Child recruitment is a war crime<\/h2><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"(AP Illustration \/ Peter Hamlin)\" class=\"wp-image-2217\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ff85fc74811b9fcbf30354258696cd0f-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ff85fc74811b9fcbf30354258696cd0f-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ff85fc74811b9fcbf30354258696cd0f-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ff85fc74811b9fcbf30354258696cd0f.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>Tens of thousands of children as young as 8 have been recruited during Sudan\u2019s war, according to Abdelgadir Abdullah Abu, secretary-general of Sudan\u2019s National Council for Child Welfare, a government body.<\/p><p>The U.N. says all sides in the conflict have used child soldiers, including militias allied with the government. Many are believed to still be on the front lines. The RSF and the Sudanese government did not respond to detailed requests for comment.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The RSF <span>have roots in the Janjaweed militias<\/span> that rampaged across Darfur in the early 2000s. Sudan\u2019s then-president Omar al-Bashir was indicted for war crimes and genocide by the International Criminal Court over that campaign.<\/p><p>Rights groups say the RSF employs similar tactics today, and that the UAE\u2019s alleged support for it could implicate the Gulf country.<\/p><p>\u201cThe evidence suggests the UAE could be substantially contributing to the RSF\u2019s widespread crimes against humanity,\u201d said Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, a senior adviser at Human Rights Watch.<\/p><h2>Children returning from the front often have nowhere to go<\/h2><p>At the rehabilitation center, which included a soccer field and volleyball net, boys dressed in white uniforms showed an AP reporter their wounds. One was missing a hand; another had scars on his back from where he said he was tortured; a third had a bone jutting out of his side.<\/p><p>The boy held at the Central Reserve Camp said that at one point, when tied to the anti-aircraft gun, he refused to fire on a jet. RSF fighters shot at him as punishment, wounding his foot.<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"(AP Illustration \/ Peter Hamlin)\" class=\"wp-image-2218\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0e775a565047c3ed0835ca2b44511e94-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0e775a565047c3ed0835ca2b44511e94-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0e775a565047c3ed0835ca2b44511e94-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0e775a565047c3ed0835ca2b44511e94.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>The wound filled with worms, he said. Eventually, the fighters abandoned him because of it, and he was later brought to the youth facility.<\/p><p>Wiping away tears, he said he\u2019s aching to return home. His mother died from illness during the war, and his father told him he was ashamed of what his son had done and doesn\u2019t want to see him.<\/p><p>Zeinab Mahjoub, a psychologist at the facility, said she tries to persuade relatives to not to abandon the boys. At the same time, the boys are wrestling with their own trauma.<\/p><p>Sheldon Yett, the head of the U.N. children\u2019s agency in Sudan, said it was working with the government and other parties to speed up the process of releasing the boys, trying to convince authorities to treat \u201cchildren as children.\u201d<\/p><p>Since the AP visited the center in April, the children have been released.<\/p><p>The boy held at al-Konan Camp said that after nearly two years, he escaped one night when a guard left a door unlocked. He tried returning to his family but someone in the area knew he had fought with the RSF and reported him to the authorities, who referred him to the center.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2155\">Russian strikes across Ukraine, from east to west, kill at least 8 and wound dozens<\/a><\/p><p>He\u2019s trying to move on but is wrestling with guilt.<\/p><p>\u201cWe have made mistakes,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to get out of here to rebuild Sudan.\u201d<\/p><p>___<\/p><p>DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Su\u00e1rez from Bogota, Colombia.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Teenagers conscripted by Sudan&#8217;s Rapid Support Forces to battle the army in the country&#8217;s war say they were trained by Colombian mercenaries. That&#8217;s according to rare, firsthand accounts given to the Associated Press. One child described being strapped to an anti-aircraft gun during air raids. Another said he was forced to fire artillery and beaten for disobedience. Tens of thousands of children are believed to have been forced into Sudan&#8217;s war, with many still on the front lines. The accounts point to a wider deployment of Colombian mercenaries in the ongoing conflict. Rights groups have accused the United Arab Emirates of arming the Rapid Support Forces, allegations denied by the Gulf federation that includes Dubai.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>AP Exclusive: Child soldiers recount horrors of Sudan\u2019s war and presence of Colombian mercenaries - Top Moving Pros<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2219\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AP Exclusive: Child soldiers recount horrors of Sudan\u2019s war and presence of Colombian mercenaries - Top Moving Pros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Teenagers conscripted by Sudan&#039;s Rapid Support Forces to battle the army in the country&#039;s war say they were trained by Colombian mercenaries. That&#039;s according to rare, firsthand accounts given to the Associated Press. One child described being strapped to an anti-aircraft gun during air raids. Another said he was forced to fire artillery and beaten for disobedience. Tens of thousands of children are believed to have been forced into Sudan&#039;s war, with many still on the front lines. The accounts point to a wider deployment of Colombian mercenaries in the ongoing conflict. 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