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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.