🔗 Share this article

The United States has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

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

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.