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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, after an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.