🔗 Share this article

The United States has levied restrictions on a network of four people and four firms charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

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

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an investigation which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.