Colombian Mercenaries: A Costly Mistake

The Colombian President shared a tweet with a link to an investigative report by a Colombian media outlet about at least 300 Colombians in Libya seeking to return home. These individuals claim to have been promised jobs securing oil facilities in the Gulf but instead found themselves in Libya, awaiting transfer to Sudan. The report alleges that the UAE facilitated their recruitment. Colombian media revealed that these mercenaries, mostly seasoned veterans with extensive combat experience, were lured by promises of high financial rewards but were deceived into fighting in Sudan’s war through dubious recruitment networks.

A report published by the Colombian newspaper La Silla Vacía confirmed the presence of approximately 300 former Colombian soldiers in Sudan, some of whom arrived via Libya. These soldiers were reportedly recruited by a Colombian security company under contracts for protecting oil infrastructure in the UAE. According to the report, their journey began in the UAE, followed by a flight to Benghazi, Libya, where they stayed in facilities reportedly linked to Libyan authorities before being transported to Sudan across the desert.

The report indicates that many of these soldiers were misled and coerced into fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. Testimonies from some soldiers revealed that they were deceived and forced into combat. The newspaper La Silla Vacía also reported that a group of Colombian mercenaries fell into an ambush on the Libyan-Sudanese border, resulting in three deaths and several injuries. Additionally, at least 40 soldiers expressed a desire to return to Colombia but feared retaliation.

The report implicated the Colombian company iFor in the recruitment process, with retired Colonel Álvaro Cuéllar, based in Dubai, playing a key role in managing the operation. The City Paper quoted a former Colombian defense official who confirmed that retired soldiers were duped and coerced into participating in criminal activities abroad. The paper also highlighted the UAE’s involvement in escalating violence in Sudan by recruiting Colombian fighters and sending them to Sudan. It referenced WhatsApp voice messages from one of the mercenaries, who claimed that 300 Colombians were deceived under the guise of providing security for Emirati oil facilities but were killed shortly after arriving in Sudan.

These developments strengthen Sudan’s legal position in condemning the UAE’s intervention and its violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1591. They also point to breaches of the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court’s laws regarding crimes of aggression, particularly through the recruitment of mercenaries who engaged in combat and aggressive acts in Sudan. Evidence such as passports, IDs, phones, and direct travel records from the UAE to Darfur in late October substantiate these claims.

It is crucial for Sudan’s government and official institutions to urge Colombia to investigate the involvement of its citizens in illegal entry and participation in hostilities. Sudan should leverage the Colombian President’s condemnation of mercenary activity, notify the African Union and the Arab League, and engage Libya and Chad—countries mentioned in Colombian reports. Testimonies from mercenaries cited in La Silla Vacía could further reinforce Sudan’s case.

Sudanese authorities may find it necessary to file a complaint with the International Criminal Court to establish the UAE’s crime of aggression against Sudan through the recruitment of mercenaries who participated in combat and were killed on Sudanese soil. Furthermore, Sudan could update its complaint against the UAE in the UN Security Council, demanding a session to address the issue. The country should also assert its right to respond to Emirati, Libyan, and Chadian aggression at an appropriate time and place.