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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, following an investigation which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "very significant" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.