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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, following an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The government alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "major" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.