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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, following an investigation which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "highly important" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.