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The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, 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 Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.