Washington Levies Restrictions on Network Accused of Funneling Colombian Contractors to Sudan.

The US government has levied restrictions on a group of several persons and entities accused of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, following an inquiry which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in 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 government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

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

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.