United States Enforces Sanctions on Network Accused of Funneling Colombian Contractors to the Sudanese Conflict.

The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, following an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret 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 acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.