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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.