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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms accused of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.