🔗 Share this article

The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.