🔗 Share this article US Imposes Sanctions on Operation Accused of Funneling South American Mercenaries to the Sudanese Conflict. The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide. Operation Structure Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies. Scores of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions. Revelation of Role The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, after an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá. Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education. Reported Actions In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict". Targeted Persons Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted. Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, US-based firms connected 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 firm she operated accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations. "Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury announced. Analyst Commentary An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy". It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach. Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors". "It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.