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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 combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.