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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury announced.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.