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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, after an report which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted 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. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "highly important" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.