MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UN warns: over 10,000 Colombians recruited as mercenaries in the past decade

Soldiers of the Colombian National Army at attention. Photo: AFP

A UN expert group on mercenaries warned on Friday of a significant increase in the recruitment of Colombian mercenaries, driven by the proliferation of armed conflicts worldwide. After an 11-day visit to Colombia, the body estimated that more than 10,000 citizens — nearly all former military and police personnel — have been recruited abroad over the past decade, with offers ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 per month.

“The proliferation of conflicts in the world has increased demand and, consequently, supply. There is a very diversified demand, and Colombians are filling it,” said expert Joana de Deus Pereira at a press conference in Bogotá, specifically citing the Middle East escalation, the war in Sudan, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Group chair Michelle Small explained that former Colombian military personnel are highly sought after in the global market. “After the demobilization processes of the FARC and paramilitaries, Colombia found itself with a large number of people trained for combat entering civilian life,” she stated. The primary motivation is economic, with salaries far exceeding military pensions in Colombia. Offers come from private security companies, national armies, and paramilitary organizations.

Much of the recruitment takes place through social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, and WhatsApp serve as common channels due to their accessibility and the difficulty of tracking them. The delegation also warned of growing predatory or deceptive recruitment, with companies paying far less than advertised or using fake job contracts. “This type of recruitment can constitute labor exploitation and human trafficking,” Small noted.

During the group's visit, which ran from March 16 to 27, the Colombian government signed Law 2569, ratifying the international convention on the use of mercenaries and seeking to prohibit their recruitment and financing. The legislation had been approved by Congress in December and required President Gustavo Petro's signature to take effect.

However, the group's preliminary report identified gaps in state oversight. The experts pointed to “limited financial and human resources, along with weak supervision and a lack of presence in remote areas” within the Superintendency of Private Security and Surveillance. Colombia has approximately 1,300 private security companies with over 400,000 employees, not counting informal firms that evade all oversight. They also flagged more than 60,000 unlicensed weapons in circulation.

The group expressed concern for over 600 families actively seeking news of relatives recruited as mercenaries or volunteers in foreign wars. Many report deaths, disappearances, or kidnappings, and the Colombian government has faced significant difficulties obtaining information through diplomatic channels. Body repatriation remains exceptional, as most are never located or remain buried in foreign territory.

The group will present its final conclusions to the UN Human Rights Council in September.