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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, after an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "highly important" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.