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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, prompted by an report which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "major" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying 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 said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.