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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, following an report which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.