🔗 Share this article

The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, after an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.