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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.