United States Enforces Penalties on Operation Alleged of Channeling South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict.

The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an report which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "highly important" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.