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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which found that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the UAE. The government said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.