US Imposes Restrictions on Group Accused of Recruiting Colombian Contractors to Sudan.

The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The government said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.