🔗 Share this article

The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light the previous year, prompted by an report which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added 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 based in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.