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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury 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 penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.