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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, after an report which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.