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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, after an report which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.