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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, after an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, 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 oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the department announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia ratified a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.