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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

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

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, following an report which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an revelation that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.