Washington Levies Restrictions on Operation Alleged of Channeling South American Mercenaries to the Sudanese Conflict.

The US government has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to fight – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.