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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "major" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.