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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.