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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an report which found that more than 300 retired troops had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.