Port Sudan between the mercenaries lie and the exposure of the truth: when power turns into a machine of disinformation

It is no longer a secret that the authority ruling from Port Sudan is trapped in a severe crisis, marked by political and economic paralysis, and by a media drift that has descended into fabricating lies and exporting illusions. The latest episode in this series of misleading narratives was a video claiming that “Colombian mercenaries were fighting in El-Fasher with support from the United Arab Emirates.”

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The truth, however, as uncovered by Reuters on August 29, 2025, was striking: the footage had nothing to do with Sudan. It actually documented military maneuvers conducted in Estonia with the participation of Western forces.

Reuters’ investigation provided conclusive evidence that the images came from joint exercises involving American, British, Canadian, and Estonian troops near the Tapa camp, between July 21 and 25, 2025. The soldiers appearing in the video wore the uniform of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, and were not “Colombian mercenaries” as Port Sudan’s propaganda machine had tried to suggest. This manipulation was not a mere “technical mistake” but a deliberate act of deception aimed at misleading Sudanese public opinion and fabricating an external enemy to shoulder the blame for internal crises.

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Why target the United Arab Emirates specifically? The answer is obvious. The Port Sudan authority, drowning in its own failures, constantly needs an external adversary to portray as “the culprit” in order to deflect pressing domestic questions: who is responsible for the economic collapse and skyrocketing living costs? Who bears responsibility for the spread of epidemics and the deterioration of healthcare services? Who stands behind the security chaos and the erosion of state institutions? Blaming the UAE is the easiest solution. It channels popular anger toward the outside world instead of allowing it to erupt against the government itself. Yet, the statement released by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Reuters overturned the narrative: Abu Dhabi reaffirmed its support for the Sudanese people in their quest for peace and stability, denouncing the allegations as a systematic campaign designed to cover up internal failures.

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The real crisis facing Port Sudan goes far beyond economics. It is primarily a crisis of credibility. Once lies are exposed in such a blatant manner, any official narrative becomes subject to suspicion, and the regime loses its last remaining instrument of influence over public opinion. The Sudanese people, long accustomed to propaganda, now live in the age of open information and will no longer accept fabricated stories so easily.

In this context, the Port Sudan authority resorts to the strategy of “running forward”: whenever pressure mounts, it invents a new narrative to distract attention. But this approach is increasingly ineffective. The era when official media could monopolize information is over. International investigative platforms like Reuters dismantle fabrications and expose falsehoods. Manufacturing “imaginary enemies” may provide a short respite, but in the long run it only accelerates the erosion of trust and hastens the collapse of the official discourse.

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The contrast becomes even sharper when observing the stance of the United Arab Emirates. Despite smear campaigns, Abu Dhabi remains consistent: promoting stability, calling for peace, and sustaining humanitarian and diplomatic engagement away from fruitless polemics. This constancy highlights, by contrast, the falsehood of Port Sudan’s authorities, unable to speak in a language of truth.

Reuters’ investigation did not merely debunk the “Colombian mercenaries” lie. It exposed a deeper crisis engulfing the Port Sudan regime: a crisis of legitimacy and credibility before being one of economy or security. When power transforms itself into a disinformation machine, its downfall becomes only a matter of time. As for the UAE, it emerges stronger, demonstrating once again that beyond the noise of lies, it is always the truth that ultimately prevails.

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