🔗 Share this article

The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, after an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

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 Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.