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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in international fights and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.