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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an report which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.