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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities charged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.