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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an investigation which revealed that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to fight – an discovery that led to 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 years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer based in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia ratified a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

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