🔗 Share this article

The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, after an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from 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. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.