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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force accused of terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the department announced.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.