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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, after an report which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to fight – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.