🔗 Share this article

The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the UAE. The government said he had a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.