They were recruited on WhatsApp and trained in the UAE, paid handsomely by an Emirati private security contractor called Global Security Services Group. The recruitment of these mercenaries is part of a trend toward a new model of proxy warfare across the Middle East and North Africa. It represents a deliberate effort by the Gulf monarchies, led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, to reshape the rules of armed conflict. No longer relying solely on national armies or traditional proxy groups to advance their interests in regional conflicts, they are increasingly employing a network of private military companies, or PMCs, which often have ties to ruling elites. The unchecked use of these companies is redefining the regional security order in ways that further erode state sovereignty over security and military affairs, thereby undermining the legitimacy of state-controlled violence.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 12, 2026 14:44 UTC