Washington Levies Penalties on Network Accused of Channeling South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict.
The Washington has enforced penalties 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 genocidal acts.
Group Makeup
Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.
Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.
Discovery of Participation
The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, following an report which revealed that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery 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 extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.
Role in the Conflict
In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".
Named Entities
Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The government said he had a central role in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.
Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement said.
Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.
"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department stated.
Analyst Commentary
An expert, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "very significant" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".
Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.
Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".
"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.
