🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The government alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.