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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.