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The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, following an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to fight – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The government alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.