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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.