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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, following an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

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

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.