United States Enforces Sanctions on Network Alleged of Recruiting South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict.
The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.
Group Makeup
Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.
Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.
Revelation of Role
The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.
Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.
Reported Actions
In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".
Named Entities
Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.
Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.
Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.
"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.
Reaction
An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "highly important" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".
She added that, Bogotá recently passed a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and change national security policy.
Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".
"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.
