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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, following an report which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "very significant" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.