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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, following an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.