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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 fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

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

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, following an report which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "highly important" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.