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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities charged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, after an report which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.