🔗 Share this article

The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

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

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.