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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Dubai. The government accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.