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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "highly important" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.