🔗 Share this article

The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, after an report which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and change its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.