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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an report which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers 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 ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.