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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, following an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized 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 enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "highly important" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.