🔗 Share this article United States Enforces Restrictions on Group Alleged of Funneling South American Contractors to the Sudanese Conflict. The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts. Operation Structure Announcing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms. Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions. Discovery of Participation The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry. Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction. Activities in Sudan In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict". Targeted Persons Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned. Also on the restricted 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 associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated. Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses. "Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency stated. Expert Analysis Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy". Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape its security approach. A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors". "This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.