🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "highly important" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.