🔗 Share this article

The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, after an report which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.