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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, after an report which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

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

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.