🔗 Share this article

The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

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

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "highly important" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.