🔗 Share this article

The US government has levied restrictions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "highly important" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.