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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "highly important" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.