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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an report which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the department announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.