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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of several persons and entities charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, after an report which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to fight – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, 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 implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "major" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.