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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, after an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "major" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.