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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to terrible atrocities encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light the previous year, prompted by an report which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The Treasury accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

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

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "very significant" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government has enacted a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.