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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, following an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.