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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

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

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.