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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military 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, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.