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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, following an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.