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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, after an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

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

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.