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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in terrible atrocities including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer based in the UAE. The government alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.