US Sanctions Colombian Firms Recruiting for Sudan RSF

The United States imposed sanctions on Friday against two Colombian recruitment firms and three individuals accused of enlisting hundreds of former Colombian soldiers to fight for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces in the country's ongoing civil war. The Treasury Department's action targets a network that has bolstered the paramilitary group amid a conflict that began in April 2023 and has displaced millions.

The sanctioned entities include Fénix Human Resources SAS and Global Qowa Al Basheria SAS, both based in Bogota, along with Fénix manager Jose Libardo Quijano Torres, Global Qowa owner Jose Oscar Garcia Batte, and the firm's manager Omar Fernando Garcia Batte. All are Colombian nationals. According to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, these parties recruited and deployed ex-military personnel to Sudan starting in 2024, where they served in combat and technical capacities alongside the RSF in battles nationwide. The sanctions block any U.S. property or interests held by the designated parties and prohibit Americans from dealing with them.

This marks the latest U.S. measure against the RSF, which evolved from the Janjaweed militias responsible for widespread...