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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, following an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The government said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.