🔗 Share this article US Imposes Sanctions on Group Accused of Funneling South American Mercenaries to Sudan. The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts. Group Makeup Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms. Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings. Revelation of Role The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, following an investigation which revealed that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction. Activities in Sudan In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is". Named Entities Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted. Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said. Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations. "Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the department announced. Analyst Commentary Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy". She added that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy. Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism". "It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.