🔗 Share this article

The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, after an report which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.