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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to fight – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department stated.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.