Bogotá, March 28 (SANA) A UN team investigating the phenomenon of mercenaries revealed that nearly 10,000 Colombians were recruited to fight in armed conflicts around the world over the past decade, indicating a rise in this phenomenon linked to economic and security factors.
In a report published Saturday, the team explained that a large number of these recruits are former military personnel who faced difficulties reintegrating into civilian life after their service, prompting them to seek opportunities abroad, often in contexts related to armed conflicts.
The report indicated that Colombian mercenaries participated in conflicts in several countries, including Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, attracted by the high salaries offered by various entities seeking to recruit them.
The head of the UN team and its rapporteur, Michelle Small, stated during a press conference in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, that “difficult living conditions are driving many of these individuals to seek work abroad, whether in legitimate or illicit activities related to mercenary work.”
She added that the past eleven years have witnessed a significant increase in the recruitment of Colombians for military and security missions outside the country, noting the activity of recruitment networks that use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Telegram to attract fighters.
The report also highlighted the complex humanitarian conditions faced by some of these mercenaries in conflict zones. While a number of them have expressed a desire to return to Colombia, they face difficulties, including the confiscation of their passports, which hinders their return. Meanwhile, their families suffer from a lack of information about their situation.
Small welcomed Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s signing of a law ratifying the 1989 International Convention against the recruitment, use, financing, and training of mercenaries, considering it an important step toward curbing the phenomenon.
These developments come against the backdrop of a long history of armed conflict in Colombia, which has endured decades of internal strife with rebel groups and criminal gangs, leaving a profound impact on the country’s security and economy.
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