Colombia Takes Measures to Curb Mercenaries Influx to Sudan

Nairobi – Sudanese Echoes

The Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Sudan in Nairobi, Mohamed Osman Okasha, has met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to Kenya, Pedro León Cortés.

The meeting addressed the issue of some Colombian mercenaries participating in combat alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in the ongoing war against the people of Sudan.

Okkasha explained that the Abu Dhabi regime way the key sponsor of this militia, providing it with various forms of military, financial, and political support, including the recruitment of mercenaries from several countries, among them Colombia, to engage in activities that threaten Sudan’s security and the safety of its citizens.

He pointed out that the Sudanese Armed Forces possess conclusive evidence in this regard, in addition to investigative reports published by international media outlets, all of which confirm that the Abu Dhabi authority, through its proxes, is responsible for recruiting those mercenaries.

For his part, Ambassador Pedro León Cortés expressed his deep regret over these practices, affirming that the Colombian government and people have no connection to them, clarifying that the matter is limited to a group of former soldiers whose needs were exploited and who were lured by money.

He further noted that Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in coordination with the relevant government institutions, has taken a set of measures to address this phenomenon, including pushing for parliamentary legislation criminalizing companies and individuals involved in mercenary recruitment activities, as well as launching a national campaign to raise awareness of the jeopardies these practices pose to Colombian society.

The Acting Chargé d’Affaires commended these efforts, stressing the Sudanese government’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with the Republic of Colombia through information exchange and joint coordination, whether via bilateral channels or within regional and international frameworks, in order to put an end to the phenomenon of recruiting and exporting mercenaries to Sudan.