The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a network it said was recruiting Colombians to fight in Sudan’s civil war, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Egypt and Saudi Arabia as part of mediation.
The moves come as fighting has intensified in the brutal conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which broke out in 2023.
Last month, Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan called on US President Donald Trump to end the country’s war, although attempts to broker peace have repeatedly failed over the course of the conflict that has killed tens of thousands.
On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department said it was slapping sanctions on four individuals and four entities as part of a network that recruits former Colombian military personnel and trains soldiers, including children, to fight for the RSF.
“The RSF has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians — including infants and young children,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley.
“Its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow,” he added in a statement.
The State Department said that Rubio spoke about efforts to end the war in separate calls with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, two key regional powers.
Another power, the United Arab Emirates, has faced wide accusations of backing the RSF through weapons and mercenaries.
The UAE denies the allegations and the United States has not publicly condemned the close partner, but Rubio last month vowed to raise concerns directly with countries that back the RSF.
The individuals targeted in the sanctions include Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, a retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE, who was said to play “a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to Sudan.”
Also impacted were the employment agency he co-founded and his wife, who has been involved in its management.
The latest sanctions also took aim at other groups and their managers.
In January, the State Department said it determined that members of the RSF had committed genocide.
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© Agence France-Presse
