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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "very significant" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.