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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an inquiry which found that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

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

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "very significant" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.