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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, prompted by an report which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

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

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.