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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

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

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an report which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, 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 centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.