🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of several persons and entities charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

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

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.