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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Recently, American entities associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.