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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "highly important" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.