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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to terrible atrocities encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The government accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.