🔗 Share this article

The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the UAE. The government accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.