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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to fight – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.