Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Highlight Surge in Private Military Contractors Across Africa

Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s call last week for hundreds of Colombian mercenaries fighting in Sudan’s civil war to return home shines a spotlight on the escalating role of private military contractors (PMCs) across Africa, Bloomberg reports.

The deployment of these fighters, often filling the void left by shrinking UN peacekeeping missions, is raising serious concerns about human rights abuses and the overall effectiveness of security strategies on the continent.

A report by Colombian news outlet La Silla Vacia revealed that hundreds of Colombians were allegedly lured to Sudan by a UAE-based private security company.

“Mercenarism should be banned in Colombia,” President Petro said on X (formerly Twitter).

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry strongly denies any involvement in the Sudanese conflict.

The 19-month-long Sudanese civil war, with tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, has become a focal point for this trend. UN investigators have accused the UAE of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, allegations the UAE consistently rejects. However, social media videos recently surfaced purportedly showing Sudanese soldiers detaining Colombian mercenaries fighting alongside the RSF.

This situation is not isolated. Across Africa, PMCs from various nations are increasingly involved in conflicts:

• Mali: A Turkish defense company recently released footage showing its personnel training an elite Malian military unit, while the Wagner Group struggles to contain multiple Islamist insurgencies.
• Democratic Republic of Congo: French and Romanian contractors have stepped in as UN peacekeepers withdraw.
• Somalia: US-based Bancroft Global Development trains the Somali army against al-Shabaab.
• Burkina Faso: The Kremlin-linked Africa Corps operates.

The withdrawal of UN and Western forces is creating a vacuum. The number of UN troops in Africa is set to fall to 35,000 by the end of 2024, down from 88,000 a decade ago. This drawdown, coupled with the departure of thousands of French troops from the Sahel region, is creating opportunities for PMCs.

However, the replacement of UN peacekeepers and Western forces with mercenaries is not necessarily improving security.  In fact, evidence suggests otherwise. The Sahel region, after the expulsion of French forces and the influx of Russian fighters, has witnessed a sharp increase in civilian deaths. Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project shows a surge in fatalities in the first half of 2024 compared to the whole of 2023.