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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, following an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.