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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities accused of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.