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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

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

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.