By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a network comprising four individuals and four firms over their alleged involvement in a transnational network that recruits former Colombian members of the armed forces for the purpose of training soldiers to fight for the Sudanese paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The paramilitary organisation has been at war with the Sudanese military since April 2023 over control of the country’s power and been accused of war crimes by Amnesty International.
This month, UN’s Human Rights Chief Volker Türk raised concern over “ a new wave of atrocities ” in Sudan amid a surge in fierce fighting in the Kordofan region in central Sudan.
Those affected by the 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.
US 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.”
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.
According to the U.N. the conflict in Sudan has killed 40,000 people, but some rights groups say the death toll is much higher.
The crisis has also created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with over 14 million displaced, the UN has stated, with many areas experiencing 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.
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.
