The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.
Disclosing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.
Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.
The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, following an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.
Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.
In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".
Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.
Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release stated.
Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.
"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department stated.
Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".
She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.
Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".
"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.
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