🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, after an investigation which found that more than 300 retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.