🔗 Share this article

The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, after an report which found that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.