🔗 Share this article

The United States has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an investigation which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the UAE. The government said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "Recently, companies in the United States connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "major" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.