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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.