🔗 Share this article

The US government has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.