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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to horrific war crimes including targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.