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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, after an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.