🔗 Share this article

The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

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

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.