US targets recruiters of Colombian ex-soldiers in Sudan conflict

The United States has imposed sanctions on five individuals and entities accused of recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to fight in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.

The conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023 between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to the US Treasury Department, those targeted by the latest sanctions are linked to efforts supporting the RSF.

“This network has fuelled the conflict, which has given rise to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and famines,” the Treasury said in a statement.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on both sides in the conflict to “end this humanitarian crisis immediately.”

The sanctions designate three Colombian nationals — Jose Libardo Quijano Torres, Jose Oscar Garcia Batte, and Omar Fernando Garcia Batte — as well as two Colombia-based companies, Fenix Human Resources and Global Qowa Al-Basheria.

The move follows earlier action in December, when a retired Colombian military officer, Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, was sanctioned over allegations that he played a central role in recruiting and sending former soldiers to Sudan.

“Since 2024, hundreds of former Colombian soldiers have travelled to Sudan to support the RSF, serving in combat and technical roles and participating in battles across the country, including El Fasher,” the Treasury statement said.

The International Criminal Court said in January that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed in El Fasher, the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in the Darfur region. Reports following the RSF’s takeover included mass killings, sexual violence, abductions, and looting.

The United Nations describes the situation in Sudan as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The total death toll remains unclear, though some estimates suggest around 100,000 people have been killed. Approximately 14 million people have been displaced since the conflict began.

By Tamilla Hasanova