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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, following an investigation which found that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "major" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.