Sudan Events – Agencies
In mid-November, the world was presented with a new chapter in the ongoing saga of the UAE’s involvement in the Sudanese war and its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In a successful ambush, the Sudanese army and allied forces seized large quantities of weapons coming from the UAE, intended to resupply the militia in the border triangle between Libya, Chad, and Sudan. What caught attention, however, was not the sheer volume of weapons, but the discovery of documents (passports, identification cards) proving that these mercenaries were not from Africa, but from Colombia, brought to Sudan via the UAE.
It appears that the intense operations by the Sudanese army, alongside its supporting forces, have depleted the number of African mercenaries (from countries like Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, and others). Consequently, the UAE sought new sources for mercenaries from beyond the seas, particularly from Colombia, known for providing cheap mercenaries.
What is the story of the Colombian mercenaries in Sudan? Did the UAE employ other nationalities in its dirty war against the Sudanese people? Where else has the UAE used Colombian mercenaries before, and what about the Sudanese deceived by the UAE back in 2020 during the Hamdok government era, who were promised security jobs in the UAE only to find themselves in the midst of the war in Libya? These are among the many stories we will cover in the next report.
A Suicide Mission: A new report from the army division in Al-Fasher revealed that four Emiratis and over 20 Colombian mercenaries were killed in a suicide drone explosion in North Darfur. Additionally, 16 suicide drones were shot down, which had tried to target military outposts and vital civilian areas.
The Colombian Mercenaries: A report from the Colombian newspaper La Silla disclosed the involvement of two Colombian military units, former soldiers, fighting alongside the militia in Sudan. According to the report by Colombian journalist Santiago Rodríguez Álvarez, more than 300 Colombian soldiers are either currently fighting in Sudan or en route there. The mercenaries are reportedly contracted for $2,600, while sergeants receive $3,400.
The report, which relied on testimonies from Colombian ex-soldiers, revealed that these men were forced into the war against their will. The soldiers explained that they were hired for one purpose but then redirected to other tasks. Their journey to Darfur began more than three months ago.
One retired Colombian officer in Sudan, whose testimony was shared via voice recordings, stated that his unit was about half an hour away from Al-Fasher when they were attacked by the Sudanese army in late October. Three Colombians were killed, and others were injured. He admitted that they were recruited through deception and against their will.
The Colombian-Emirati Company: The soldiers explained that their recruitment was carried out through a Colombian company called International Security Services Agency (A4AI), founded in Colombia in 2017 by a former Colombian army officer. They were told they would provide security services for oil infrastructure in the UAE.
The report mentioned that the operation was led by retired Colonel Álvaro Cuéllano, who had been dismissed from the Colombian army for links to drug cartels. The soldiers confirmed they were never given copies of their contracts and were forced to sign confidentiality clauses.
The mercenaries were transported in batches from Colombia to the UAE, then to Libya, and from there, many were flown to Benghazi, where they were held in facilities allegedly built by Gaddafi’s regime.
Continued Recruitment: Retired Colonel Antonio Rodríguez, Cuéllano’s business partner in the A4AI company, denied accusations of sending mercenaries to Sudan. He stated that he sold the company to Cuéllano and his wife two years ago for 120 million Colombian pesos. They have continued to deceive former soldiers by luring them into contracts that lead them to Sudan with the help of a global security company based in the UAE.
Rodríguez also revealed that the UAE had previously used Colombian officers to form a battalion under the UAE’s 7th Special Forces Brigade, which consists of 2,500 Colombians, with additional personnel from Panama, Chile, and El Salvador.
President’s Response: After news of the deaths of Colombian mercenaries spread in the Colombian press, President Gustavo Petro felt compelled to comment, emphasizing the need to ban mercenary activities. He posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Colombian soldiers should have better living standards, but those responsible for exploiting young lives for money abroad should face criminal charges. He urged the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find ways to bring these young men back to Colombia, describing them as “youth deceived by the recruiters.”
The Mercenary Market: The international attention on the mercenary market intensified following the assassination of Haiti’s president in July 2021, carried out by 26 Colombian mercenaries. Experts on criminal phenomena have highlighted that the low cost of Colombian mercenaries has made them a nearly inexhaustible resource, available for wars in Yemen, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, as well as for operations like the Haitian assassination. Thousands of soldiers leave Colombia’s army each year, either due to the lack of promotions, salary increases, or expulsion for misconduct after completing 20 years of service.
Emirati Mercenaries: In May 2011, The New York Times revealed that a plane carrying dozens of former Colombian soldiers landed in Abu Dhabi to join mercenary forces working for the American private security company Blackwater, tasked with monitoring UAE infrastructure. Four years later, the paper reported that hundreds of Colombians were fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen on behalf of the UAE.
In 2019, the French news agency AFP reported that the UAE secretly sent 300 Colombian mercenaries to fight for its army in Yemen, paying large sums to recruit a private army of seasoned South American soldiers.
The Black Shield Scam: In 2019, the Emirati company Black Shield lured Sudanese youth to Dubai with promises of security jobs at oil facilities in the UAE. However, they were coerced into fighting in Libya and Yemen instead.
It seems that the UAE’s history of recruiting mercenaries will continue, bolstered by a silent, complicit international community that may be swayed by Emirati wealth. The battles in Darfur, where many Colombian mercenaries were killed, may mark the beginning of a new phase—and perhaps the beginning of the end for this sinister regime.
