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The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer based in the UAE. The government said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.