🔗 Share this article

The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "major" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.