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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, after an report which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.