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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, after an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the UAE. The government said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the department stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.