🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, prompted by an report which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.