🔗 Share this article

The US government has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, prompted by an report which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The government alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

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

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.