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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to fight – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The US authorities said he had a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.