🔗 Share this article

The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Dubai. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "Recently, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "very significant" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.