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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" 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 former army officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.