US Imposes Sanctions on Operation Accused of Recruiting South American Fighters to Sudan.

The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, following an investigation which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.