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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, after an report which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to fight – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The government said he had a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.