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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the UAE. The government alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

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

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.