Washington Levies Sanctions on Group Alleged of Recruiting South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict.
The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.
Network Composition
Revealing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.
Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.
Revelation of Role
The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, after an report which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an event 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 acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.
Role in the Conflict
In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".
Sanctioned Individuals
Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The government alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.
Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.
Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.
"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.
Reaction
A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "highly important" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".
She added that, Colombia has enacted a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.
Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".
"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.
