🔗 Share this article

The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms accused of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, after an investigation which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The government accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.