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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, after an report which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The government accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.