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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged last year, after an report which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.