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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, after an report which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia ratified a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.