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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an inquiry which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The government said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.