Colombian President Responds to Sudanese Prime Minister’s Call to Halt Mercenaries to Darfur

In a remarkable move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro responded to a message sent by Sudanese Prime Minister Dr. Kamil Idris to the Colombian and Spanish-speaking peoples, calling for an end to the sending of Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in Sudan, which is committing violations and war crimes against civilians in El Fasher, Darfur, and other areas of Sudan.

Colombian President Petro reposted the Sudanese Prime Minister’s message on his official Twitter account on Monday night, accompanied by a comment that read: “Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris addresses the Colombian nation: Stop mercenaries in Colombia. Young former soldiers and officers, do not hold back. Fight for your country, do not die in foreign wars.”

It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Idris’s message, delivered in Spanish, came in the context of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where the city of El Fasher is under a tight siege by the Rapid Support Forces militia, resulting in the deaths and displacement of thousands of civilians.

In his message, Idris noted that the participation of foreign mercenaries, including Colombians, in these conflicts exacerbates suffering and hinders peace efforts in the region.

President Petro’s response is part of his policies focused on promoting peace and social justice in his country. He called on former soldiers and officers to direct their energies toward building Colombia rather than participating in external conflicts.

This move is part of Petro’s efforts to combat the phenomenon of mercenary work, which has sparked widespread controversy in Colombia, especially with previous reports of Colombian citizens being recruited to fight in conflict zones such as Ukraine and Sudan.

For their part, Sudanese activists welcomed the Colombian position, believing that this engagement could contribute to reducing the flow of mercenaries to Sudan.