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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.