🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, prompted by an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.