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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that led to 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 acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.