Colombia and the Mercenaries: A Public Opinion Issue

The company responsible for recruiting Colombian mercenaries is Massar Recruitment Services, an Emirati company registered in Abu Dhabi. Massar is part of the Etimad Holding Group, which operates as a security company similar to Black Shield UAE. One of its activities includes operating in the field of drone aviation. Etimad was merged into Edge Group, a state-owned entity managed by the Abu Dhabi government.

This directly implicates the Abu Dhabi government in establishing supply chains for arms trafficking and mercenary recruitment. According to a lawyer, a lawsuit was filed in 2022 against Black Shield UAE on behalf of 412 Sudanese individuals deceived by the company. These individuals were lured to the UAE with promises of security jobs but were instead sent to fight in Libya.

Lawyer Suleiman Al-Ghadi told a Belgian magazine that Black Shield engaged in human trafficking on behalf of the UAE, and its officials should be held accountable. The Belgian newspaper Le Vif reported that an Emirati company illegally transported hundreds of Sudanese to Libya under the guise of employment as private security guards in the UAE. This case is currently being examined in Sudanese and European courts.

A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicates that the UAE has consistently used state resources to implement military agendas involving mercenary recruitment and arms trafficking in conflict zones. These actions contravene international laws that prohibit such activities.

In a gesture of goodwill, Ana Milena de Gaviria, Colombia’s ambassador to Cairo, expressed shock over the involvement of Colombian citizens in the Sudanese conflict alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In a meeting with Sudan’s Ambassador to Egypt, Imad Al-Din Mustafa Adawi, she condemned the participation as irresponsible and affirmed Colombia’s respect for Sudan’s sovereignty.

Ambassador Adawi welcomed Colombia’s stance, emphasizing that this incident underscores the involvement of external actors in Sudan’s ongoing war. He called for joint efforts by the Sudanese and Colombian governments to prevent Colombians from being recruited as mercenaries by rebel militias.

Following Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s directive to investigate the deaths of Colombian citizens working as mercenaries in Sudan, the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced concrete measures to address the issue. These measures include:

Investigating human trafficking networks that deceived Colombians into joining the conflict.

Providing consular assistance to those affected.

Facilitating the repatriation of Colombians misled into participating in the war.

The ministry also acknowledged similar cases of Colombians involved in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war, the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, and allegations of mercenaries in Sudan.

Colombia’s official apology for its citizens’ involvement in the conflict alongside the RSF opens the door for cooperative investigations. Evidence includes:

The capture and deaths of Colombian mercenaries in Sudan.

Confiscated phones and passports documenting their travel to and from the UAE.

Financial transactions and documentation from Etimad, a UAE government-owned company.

These findings provide a solid legal basis to prosecute the UAE at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for recruiting Colombian mercenaries who committed war crimes in Sudan. The charges include human trafficking, drug and arms trafficking, and violations of UN Resolution 1591.