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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, 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".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The US authorities said he had a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.