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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "highly important" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.