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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

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

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.