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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, following an report which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.