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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

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

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, following an report which found that more than 300 retired troops had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "highly important" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.