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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an inquiry which found that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

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

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "major" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.