🔗 Share this article

The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, after an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.