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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in international fights and change national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.