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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms accused of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, after an report which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.