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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The government alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

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

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.