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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, prompted by an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The government said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty 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. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.