🔗 Share this article

The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force accused of horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, following an investigation which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.