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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of several persons and entities accused of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, after an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer based in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.