US Imposes Penalties on Group Accused of Funneling Colombian Mercenaries to Sudan.
The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.
Group Makeup
Revealing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.
Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.
Revelation of Role
The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light the previous year, following an report which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.
Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.
Role in the Conflict
In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".
Targeted Persons
Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The government accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.
Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release noted.
Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.
"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency stated.
Reaction
Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "highly important" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".
Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.
A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".
"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.
