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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The government accused him a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

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

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.