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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

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

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "highly important" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.