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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to fight – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "very significant" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

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

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.