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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, following an report which found that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

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

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.