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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, after an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an revelation that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

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

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.