🔗 Share this article

The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.