🔗 Share this article

The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, following an inquiry which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The government alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.