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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an report which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the actions as a "highly important" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.