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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities accused of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, after an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release stated.

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

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government has enacted a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in 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. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.