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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation 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.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia ratified a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.