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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The government accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department announced.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.