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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an inquiry which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.