United States Enforces Sanctions on Operation Accused of Channeling South American Contractors to Sudan.

The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of terrible atrocities encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.