US Imposes Sanctions on Group Alleged of Recruiting Colombian Fighters to Sudan.

The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, after an report which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The government said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.