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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

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

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" 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 ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.