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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, after an report which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.