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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, after an report which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

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

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting 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 largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.