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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "major" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.