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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret 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 acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "major" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.