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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, following an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.