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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, following an report which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.