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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque engaged in several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.