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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an investigation which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "major" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia has enacted a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.