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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities charged of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business accused of managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.