🔗 Share this article

The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.