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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.