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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The government said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "very significant" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.