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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the UAE. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "Recently, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "major" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.