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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light the previous year, following an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.