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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.