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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

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

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia ratified a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.