🔗 Share this article

The US government has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms accused of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.