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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged last year, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.