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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.