🔗 Share this article

The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, following an report which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the UAE. The government said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.