U.S. Sanctions Imposed on Network Recruiting Colombian Fighters for Sudanese Paramilitary
The United States has imposed sanctions on four individuals and four companies for their alleged involvement in a transnational network that recruits former Colombian military personnel to train soldiers for the Sudanese paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been engaged in conflict with the Sudanese military since April 2023 and has been accused of committing war crimes. The sanctioned individuals include Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, a retired Colombian military officer, and his wife, along with Mateo Andres Duque Botero, an employment agency manager. These entities are accused of processing payrolls for the Colombian fighters. The U.S. Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John K. Hurley, stated that the RSF's actions have exacerbated the conflict and destabilized the region, creating conditions conducive to the growth of terrorist groups. 
