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The US government has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, after an investigation which found that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the department stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.