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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "major" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.