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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.