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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, following an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military 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 advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the department stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "very significant" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.