🔗 Share this article

The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel 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 some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.