🔗 Share this article

The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms charged of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside 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 the previous year, following an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The government alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.