🔗 Share this article US Imposes Penalties on Operation Accused of Funneling South American Mercenaries to Sudan. The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide. Network Composition Announcing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms. Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions. Discovery of Participation The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, after an report which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government. Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education. Role in the Conflict In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict". Targeted Persons Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted. Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said. Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his companies. "The US once more urges outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency stated. Expert Analysis An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go". It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach. Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors". "It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.