🔗 Share this article

The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, following an report which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

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

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "highly important" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.