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The US government has imposed sanctions 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 measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, following an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.