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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

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

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the UAE. The government said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the department announced.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.