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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "Recently, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.