🔗 Share this article

The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, prompted by an report which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.