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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the department announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.