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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities charged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

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

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been contracted to fight – an revelation 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 considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.