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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, following an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

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

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.