Washington Levies Restrictions on Group Alleged of Recruiting South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict.

The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and transform national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.