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The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "very significant" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.