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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.