Reuters conducted a fact check revealing that the video claiming “Colombian mercenaries” fought in El Fasher, Sudan with “UAE support” is false.
The videos emerged online after Sudan alleged in early August that it had downed an Emirati plane carrying Colombian mercenaries, resulting in at least 40 deaths. The UAE dismissed these accusations as “unfounded” and highlighted a pattern of misinformation and blame-shifting.
Reuters clarified that the videos likely depict a joint military training exercise with the US military and European forces in Estonia.
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Afra Al Hameli, Director of Strategic Communications at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized the “falsehoods and deceit of the Port Sudan authority.”
Citing the Reuters fact check, she stated that the UAE “remains unaffected by the disinformation campaigns from the Port Sudan authority, which are merely attempts to obscure its actions and role in Sudan’s civil conflict.”
The UAE continues to support the Sudanese people’s quest for peace and a dignified future, she added.
Fact Verification
Reuters reported that the original video was released by the US Department of Defense’s Defence Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), filmed on July 24 with US, British, Canadian, and Estonian forces near Camp Tapa in Estonia.
The US Fifth Corps (Victory Corps), based in Poland, confirmed on August 18 that the training occurred from July 21 to 25, involving mortar fire and live ammunition to assess combat readiness.
Reuters noted that the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division insignia was visible on a vehicle occupant’s uniform and a soldier firing a weapon — both participants in the joint Estonian exercise.
