🔗 Share this article

The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, following an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

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

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "major" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.