US sanctions network recruiting Colombian fighters for Sudanese paramilitary

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. imposed sanctions on four people and four firms for their alleged involvement in a transnational network that recruits former Colombian military members who train soldiers to fight for the Sudanese paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.

The Rapid Support Forces, which has been at war with the Sudanese military since April 2023 has been accused of war crimes by Amnesty International and the UN’s Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said this month that he fears “ a new wave of atrocities ” in Sudan amid a surge in fierce fighting in the Kordofan region in central Sudan.

Included in the Tuesday sanctions are Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, a retired Colombian military officer and his wife, an employment agency manager named Mateo Andres Duque Botero, and a number of staffing agencies that have allegedly processed payroll for the Colombian fighters.

Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said the RSF has shown “its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow.”

According to the U.N. the conflict in Sudan has killed 40,000 people — though some rights groups say the death toll is significantly higher — and has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with over 14 million displaced. Many areas have experienced famine.

The U.S. government has accused the RSF of genocide in Darfur, and the International Criminal Court has said it is investigating suspected war crimes.

Treasury says RSF was supported by Colombian fighters when it captured El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, on October 26 after an 18-month siege. The city, where dozens of unarmed men were executed and women and girls were raped, was the military’s last stronghold in the sprawling region of Darfur.

President Donald Trump has stated he wants to end the civil war in Sudan. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was recently in Washington D.C. in November and requested Trump's help to end the war.

And Kenyan President William Ruto during a December meeting with Trump asked for Trump's support in "efforts to resolve the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan.”