NYN | News
The British newspaper The Guardian, in an investigative report, revealed that the UK government has allowed the establishment of dozens of shell companies operating to recruit foreign mercenaries and send them to conflict zones in several Arab countries, most notably Yemen and Sudan.
According to the investigation, these companies operate under legal cover within the UK, exploiting legislative and regulatory loopholes to recruit foreign fighters—primarily mercenaries from Colombia—who are then employed in overseas conflicts with no official accountability.
The newspaper reported that some of these mercenaries are currently working for the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, which have been accused of committing severe violations and war crimes. Previously, these mercenaries were also deployed in Yemen during military operations led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The investigation highlighted the UAE’s pivotal role in this activity, serving as a main transit hub and airbridge for transporting foreign mercenaries to military intervention areas in multiple Arab countries. They are employed as military trainers, drone operators, and operators of guided weapons systems.
According to observers, this revelation underscores the stark contradiction between the UK’s publicly stated human rights agenda and its stated goal of preventing the export of violence, versus the practical reality that allows private companies based in the UK to fuel regional conflicts. Meanwhile, local forces—most notably the Sana’a government forces—have successfully resisted this type of undeclared warfare and its cross-border instruments.
