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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "highly important" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.