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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of four people and four firms accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, after an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The US authorities said he had 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 Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

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

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.