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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, prompted by an report which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.