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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, following an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated 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 individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.