The Earth Feds are stealing them. If you look at their uniforms in the opening they wear federation uniforms. They might be part of Blue Cosmos too, and trying to stir up fighting. They are probably coordinators like in the last anime when the Feddies forced those pilots(Forgot their names.) to fight or die as the level of skill will lead me to believe. It seems Kira will be with Earth or the Lacus Faction if it is still there and that will cause them to fight.(Kira and Shin)