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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, following an report which found that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.