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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which found that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change its security approach.

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

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.