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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "highly important" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.