Washington announced new sanctions on Tuesday against a group it says has been feeding the conflict in Sudan by bringing former Colombian soldiers into the battlefield. According to Reuters reporting, the U.S. Treasury said the network spans several countries and has trained fighters, including minors, for the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group battling the Sudanese army.
Treasury officials said four individuals and four companies now face asset freezes and restrictions. The department described the group as mostly Colombian, operating across multiple jurisdictions, and capable of transporting trained ex-soldiers directly into active combat zones.
Washington links colombian recruits to rsf operations
U.S. officials told Reuters that hundreds of former members of Colombia’s military have traveled to Sudan since at least 2024. They allegedly served as infantry, artillery crews, drone operators and tactical instructors for the RSF. Treasury also said some of them trained children to fight for the paramilitary force, which the U.S. accuses of genocide.
John Hurley, the Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the RSF has repeatedly attacked civilians, including infants. He argued that the group’s actions have destabilized Sudan and made room for extremist organizations to grow.
One of the sanctioned figures is Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, identified by Treasury as a dual Colombian-Italian citizen living in the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials say he played a key role in recruiting Colombian personnel and coordinating their deployment. The UAE has been accused by rights groups and some governments of supplying weapons to the RSF, claims Emirati authorities deny.
In the statement obtained by Reuters, Treasury urged foreign governments to stop sending money or weapons to either side of the war. The conflict erupted in April 2023, when a political struggle between Sudan’s army and the RSF spiraled into nationwide violence. Since then, the country has faced famine, ethnic attacks and mass displacement.
Last month, Reuters reported that President Donald Trump said he intended to push for an end to the fighting. The U.S., the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, known collectively as the Quad, proposed a three-month ceasefire and new negotiations. The RSF publicly accepted the plan but soon launched drone strikes on army positions, undercutting hopes of a breakthrough.
