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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that led to 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 years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.