The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.
Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.
Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.
The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret 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 acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.
In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".
Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.
Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.
Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.
"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the department stated.
Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".
It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform national security policy.
A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".
"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.
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