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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities charged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change its security approach.

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

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.