Colombian mercenaries were discovered in the Sudan conflict, primarily recruited by an Emirati company. In November 2024, Sudanese Armed Forces targeted a convoy of these fighters, killing many before they could aid RSF. The UAE’s history of employing Colombian soldiers reveals wider trends in international conflict participation.
A solitary road traverses the Libyan desert, connecting Benghazi to al-Uwaynat near the Sudanese border, serving as a conduit for Colombian mercenaries to join the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in late 2024. In November, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) utilized drone strikes to eliminate 22 Colombian fighters en route to engage in the siege of el-Fasher, North Darfur, the last state in the region not under RSF control.
Colombian publication La Silla reports that around 300 mercenaries were initially recruited to serve as security personnel in the United Arab Emirates by Global Security Service Group. The Emirati authorities subsequently dispatched at least 40 of these mercenaries to Benghazi, fostering the UAE’s backing of RSF amid its conflict with the SAF. The Colombian government issued two apologies to Sudanese leaders following the drone strike that involved Colombian nationals fighting for the RSF.
This instance marks not the first occurrence of the UAE deploying Colombian mercenaries in conflict zones. Colombian fighters were part of a contingent of 450 Latin American mercenaries recruited in 2015 to combat Houthi rebels in Yemen. Evidence of Colombian involvement in Sudan emerged through videos documented by SAF soldiers on social media, depicting seized passports belonging to Colombian mercenaries, including that of Lombana Moncayo. Bellingcat used Moncayo’s social media activity to trace his location in southeast Libya prior to the attack.
Jeremy McDermott, co-founder of InSight Crime, noted that the UAE capitalizes on the limited high-paying job opportunities available for former Colombian soldiers. Due to their extensive training and combat experience, Colombian mercenaries possess a skill set superior to that of most foreign military forces. Furthermore, they are more economically feasible than ex-soldiers from other nations. La Silla has identified retired Colombian Army Colonel Alvaro Quijano as responsible for organizing the 300 mercenaries sent to Sudan via the UAE, who were contracted through the International Services Agency A4SI, owned by Quijano’s spouse.
La Silla indicated that A4SI misleads many ex-military personnel with employment prospects in the UAE. Retired Colombian Army Major Omar Antonio Rodríguez mentioned that A4SI has persistently recruited individuals despite the fatalities in Sudan. He further stated that a planned deployment of 1,500 mercenaries could yield substantial financial returns, reaching about 32 billion pesos ($7.7 million) annually for those involved in this operation.
The involvement of Colombian mercenaries in the Sudan conflict underscores the international dimension of modern warfare, highlighting the complex interactions between national interests and private military enterprises. The UAE’s recruitment of these mercenaries exemplifies ongoing patterns of utilizing foreign combatants in regional conflicts. As the situation continues to evolve, the potential financial implications and human costs remain significant considerations.
Original Source: www.defenceweb.co.za
