🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force accused of terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, following an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "major" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.