🔗 Share this article Washington Levies Penalties on Network Accused of Funneling Colombian Contractors to Sudan. The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts. Network Composition Announcing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies. Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings. Emergence of Involvement The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá. Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting 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 mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict". Named Entities Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted. Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted. Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses. "The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency stated. Expert Analysis A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy". It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy. Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors". "It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.