US Imposes Restrictions on Operation Accused of Channeling South American Fighters to Sudan.

The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, prompted by an investigation which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers 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, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.