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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, after an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to fight – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in international fights and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.