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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group 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

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and change national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.