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The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms charged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

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

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an report which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.