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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, after an report which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.