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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that led to 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, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel 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 ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.