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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.