US Imposes Sanctions on Operation Accused of Recruiting South American Contractors to the Sudanese Conflict.

The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an report which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.