🔗 Share this article

The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light the previous year, after an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.