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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, after an investigation which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" 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 former army officer located in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting 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 national who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government has enacted a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.