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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force accused of terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "very significant" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia ratified a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.