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The United States has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, prompted by an report which found that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.