🔗 Share this article

The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, following an report which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.