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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, after an investigation which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the UAE. The government accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business accused of managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "very significant" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.