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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

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

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an report which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "highly important" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.