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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology 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 gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.