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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, following an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia ratified a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.