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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, after an investigation which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "very significant" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.