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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to fight – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.