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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.