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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to horrific war crimes including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an investigation which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.