🔗 Share this article US Imposes Sanctions on Network Alleged of Recruiting South American Contractors to Sudan. The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide. Network Composition Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms. Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions. Emergence of Involvement The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, following an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry. Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training. Activities in Sudan In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is". Sanctioned Individuals Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted. Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release noted. Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies. "Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department stated. Analyst Commentary An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy". She added that, Bogotá recently passed a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy. Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade". "It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.