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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force accused of horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

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

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.