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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to fight – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"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 providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.