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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, following an report which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.