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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered the previous year, after an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department announced.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.