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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "highly important" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

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

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.