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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "Over the past two years, American entities connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.