🔗 Share this article

The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, after an report which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The US authorities accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.