🔗 Share this article United States Enforces Restrictions on Group Alleged of Funneling South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict. The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide. Group Makeup Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia. Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions. Revelation of Role The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which found that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government. Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction. Reported Actions In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is". Named Entities Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned. Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated. Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies. "The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department stated. Analyst Commentary A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach". She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy. Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors". "This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.