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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of several persons and entities alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, following an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The government alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.