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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms charged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, following an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved 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 citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.