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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of several persons and entities charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an report which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the UAE. 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 officials alleged ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the agency announced.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "highly important" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.