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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms charged of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.