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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The US authorities said he had a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "major" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.