🔗 Share this article US Imposes Sanctions on Operation Accused of Channeling South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict. The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide. Group Makeup Announcing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia. Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions. Discovery of Participation The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá. Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training. Role in the Conflict In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict". Targeted Persons Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned. Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted. Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his operations. "The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency stated. Reaction A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach". She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy. Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors". "It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.