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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of several persons and entities charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, after an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.