🔗 Share this article

The US government has levied restrictions on a network of four people and four firms charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged last year, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the department stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "major" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.