🔗 Share this article US Imposes Sanctions on Group Accused of Recruiting Colombian Contractors to Sudan. The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide. Operation Structure Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies. Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force accused of terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings. Emergence of Involvement The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, after an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry. These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training. Activities in Sudan In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way". Sanctioned Individuals Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted. Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release noted. Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his operations. "The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department said in a statement. Expert Analysis An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go". Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights 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 widespread use of contractors". "This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.