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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged last year, after an report which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the department stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.