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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "very significant" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.