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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an report which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury accused him a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.