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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, following an report which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the Dubai. The government said he had a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "major" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.