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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme 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 Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – 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 vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the government release said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.