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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.