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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, prompted by an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying 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 dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

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

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.