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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "highly important" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.