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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged last year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that led to 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 considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

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