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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities accused of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, after an inquiry which found that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to fight – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.