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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.