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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

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 years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business accused of managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "highly important" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.