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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, after an report which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.