US sanctions Colombian citizens for recruiting fighters for Sudan’s war

The United States authorities has issued sanctions against 4 Colombian nationals and the 4 businesses they assistance run, accusing them of forming a “transnational network” to nett from Sudan’s civilian war.

On Tuesday, the US Treasury published a connection identifying Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, Mateo Andres Duque Botero and Monica Munoz Ucros arsenic participants successful a strategy to enlistee erstwhile members of Colombia’s subject to combat successful Sudan.

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Once successful the East African country, the erstwhile soldiers are allegedly utilized to bid the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary radical that has been locked successful a powerfulness conflict against Sudan’s authorities forces.

“The RSF has shown again and again that it is consenting to people civilians — including infants and young children. Its brutality has deepened the struggle and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for violent groups to grow,” Treasury authoritative John K Hurley said successful a statement.

The conflict, the Treasury added, “has provoked the world’s worst ongoing humanitarian crisis”.

Fighting has raged successful Sudan since the outbreak of warfare successful April 2023, and much than 12.4 cardinal radical person been forced from their homes, contributing to displacement some wrong the country’s borders and successful surrounding areas. More than 3.3 cardinal radical person fled Sudan arsenic refugees.

Just this week, a United Nations committee called for an extremity to the hostilities, citing a agelong database of quality rights abuses committed by the RSF and its allies.

They see ethnically motivated killings, torture, the targeting of humanitarian workers and the usage of intersexual unit arsenic a limb of war.

On January 7, the US Department of State announced it had determined the RSF had committed genocide against taste groups successful Sudan arsenic portion of its equipped campaign, though it besides highlighted abuses connected some sides of the conflict.

Tuesday’s Treasury connection references that genocide determination and adds that the warring threatens US interests successful Africa.

“The civilian warfare successful Sudan risks destabilizing the portion and making the state a harmless haven for those who endanger the United States,” the connection reads.

More than 300 Colombian recruits

While the Treasury has sanctioned RSF leaders and organisations successful the past, Tuesday’s economical penalties radiance a spotlight connected the relation Colombian nationals person played successful the fighting.

According to the US government, hundreds of Colombian subject veterans person flown to Sudan since September 2024, successful bid to intervene connected the RSF’s behalf.

Many commencement by grooming RSF fighters, including kid soldiers. They besides supply RSF forces with accusation astir operating drones, artillery and military-style vehicles.

In addition, the US Treasury has accused Colombian nationals of engaging successful the warring firsthand, including during the 18-month siege connected el-Fasher, the superior of the North Sudan authorities and a metropolis the RSF seized successful October.

“Colombian fighters person participated successful galore battles crossed Sudan, including successful its capital, Khartoum, arsenic good arsenic Omdurman, Kordofan, and El Fasher,” the Treasury’s connection reads.

“The beingness of Colombian fighters successful Sudan would not beryllium imaginable without the assistance of galore individuals and companies, mostly from Colombia.”

In a September missive to the UN Security Council, a typical of Sudan’s authorities estimated that betwixt 350 to 380 Colombian mercenaries person arrived successful the African state to enactment successful the fighting. Most of them, helium said, were “retired soldiers and officers of the Colombian Army”.

Colombia has gained a estimation arsenic an planetary marketplace for mercenaries.

Experts often constituent to the relation of Colombia’s ain interior struggle successful producing out-of-work fighters. Since 1964, Colombia has been mired successful warring betwixt aggregate equipped forces, including right-wing paramilitary groups, left-wing rebels, transgression networks and the country’s ain military.

Accusations of quality rights abuses person been rampant successful that struggle arsenic well, and astatine slightest 450,000 radical person been killed, according to a authorities information commission.

According to Tuesday’s connection from the US Treasury, 2 of the sanctioned individuals, Quijano Becerra and his wife, Oliveros Forero, tally a Bogota-based employment steadfast called International Services Agency.

That firm, the Treasury says, holds “group chats” and “town halls” to enlistee Colombian fighters for Sudan, “including drone operators, snipers, and translators”.

The organisation allegedly obscures its actions done a Panama-based institution called Global Staffing, besides known arsenic Talent Bridge.

The Treasury besides sanctioned Duque Botero and Muñoz Ucros for moving different Bogota-based employment institution with akin aims.

That company, called Maine Global Corp, allegedly hires Colombians and works with Global Staffing to person currency successful bid to guarantee the fighters’ payments. A 4th company, Comercializadora San Bendito, was accused of facilitating the ligament transfers.

From 2024 to 2025, the Treasury estimated the payments processed amounted to “millions of US dollars”. All 4 companies mentioned successful the Treasury’s connection faced sanctions, alongside their leaders.

Sanctions frost immoderate assets individuals oregon groups whitethorn person successful the US. They besides marque it amerciable for US-based entities to bash concern with the designated individuals.