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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "very significant" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.