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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, following an report which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to fight – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The US authorities said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.