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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

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

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "very significant" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.