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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the department stated.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "major" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.