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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered the previous year, following an investigation which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" 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 retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.