Colombia: Petro Calls for the Return of Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan
Mercenaries of RSF in SUdan,Nov 2024 Photo: @LaRazon
December 2, 2024 Hour: 1:04 pm
“There should be a ban on mercenarism in Colombia,” President Gustavo Petro stated on his X
Last week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for the return of hundreds of mercenaries from the South American country who are fighting in Sudan. This request highlights the proliferation of private military contractors across Africa, where they have taken on roles in combating armies, rebel groups, and Islamist insurgents.
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Public disillusionment with long-term United Nations missions, which have often presided over worsening insecurity, has led to the withdrawal of tens of thousands of peacekeepers in recent years. Simultaneously, newly installed military juntas have shown a preference for security partners that do not scrutinize their democratic credentials or human rights records, resulting in a surge of mercenary contracts involving fighters from Russia, Turkey, France, and other countries engaged in conflicts throughout Africa.
“There should be a ban on mercenarism in Colombia,” President Gustavo Petro stated on his X account last Thursday, citing a report from La Silla Vacia that revealed a private security company based in the United Arab Emirates had deceived hundreds of Colombians into fighting in Sudan. “I ask the Foreign Ministry to seek ways in Africa for the return of our misled youth,” he added.
The civil war in Sudan has dragged on for 19 months, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and 11 million displaced persons. UN investigators have accused the UAE of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia fighting against the army—allegations that the UAE has long denied. Last week, videos circulated on social media purportedly showing Sudanese soldiers detaining mercenaries with Colombian passports who were fighting alongside the RSF.
This incident occurred weeks after a Turkish defense company released footage of its personnel training an elite military unit in Mali, where the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group is engaged in countering multiple Islamist insurgencies. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, contractors from France and Romania have filled the void left by UN peacekeeping troops. U.S.-based Bancroft Global Development contractors are training Somalia’s army to combat Al Shabaab militants. Meanwhile, fighters from Africa Corps, also linked to the Kremlin, are deployed in Burkina Faso.
“We maintain the UN for humanitarian reasons so they can help fund elections and humanitarian responses,” said Fidèle Gouandjika, advisor to the president of the Central African Republic, which hired Wagner Group in 2018 to assist in combating rebels. “But for military matters, we have chosen mercenaries. We pay them, and if we pay them, they must do the work we want them to do.”
This situation underscores growing concerns about the role and accountability of private military contractors operating within conflict zones across Africa as traditional peacekeeping efforts face increasing challenges.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: LaRazon-EFE
