🔗 Share this article

The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, after an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury accused him 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 the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.