🔗 Share this article

The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, after an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.