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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

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

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.