Washington Levies Penalties on Network Accused of Recruiting Colombian Mercenaries to Sudan.

The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms charged of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "highly important" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia ratified a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.