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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "major" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.