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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

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

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, after an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia ratified a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.