US sanctions Colombians fueling RSF atrocities in Sudan 

The United States on Tuesday sanctioned four individuals and four entities for their involvement in escalating the civil war in Sudan through their support for the Rapid Support Forces, RSF.

The State Department said that they belong to a network, composed primarily of Colombian nationals and companies, that recruits former Colombian military personnel to fight for the RSF.

The transnational ring has been assisting the Sudanese paramilitary group to train fighters, including children, and wreak havoc in the Northeast African nation, which is suffering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Highlighting President Donald Trump’s recent comments on the “horrific atrocities occurring in Sudan”, State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott declared that the U.S. “will use its power and influence to halt them”.

According to Pigott, the United States’ sanctions disrupt an important source of external support to the RSF, degrading its ability to use skilled Colombian fighters to prosecute violence against civilians.

“Today’s sanctions target the individuals and entities that have supported the RSF in perpetrating these atrocities, including those providing tactical and technical expertise and training,” the official noted.

The government recalled that, since the outbreak of conflict on April 15, 2023, the RSF and its allied militias have attacked civilians, killing men, boys, and infants, and have deliberately targeted women and girls with rape.

The U.S. condemned the “mass killings of civilians, ethnically targeted torture, and sexual violence” perpetrated by the RSF in late October after they captured the North Darfur capital, El Fasher, with the support of Colombian fighters.

The World Health Organization, WHO, estimated more than 400 casualties in two RSF attacks between October 26 and 28. The victims included patients and companions at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, the only functioning hospital in El Fasher.

Vowing to prevent the war in Sudan from destabilising the region, the U.S. reiterated its commitment to the principles outlined in the September 12 Joint Statement on Restoring Peace and Security in Sudan.

The communique calls for a three-month humanitarian truce followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transparent transition process aimed at establishing an independent, civilian-led administration.

Pigott added that the U.S. government will coordinate with countries in the region “to end these atrocities and stabilise Sudan”, warning external actors to “stop providing military and financial support to the belligerents”.

Also on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on ongoing engagements to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan and on the implementation of President Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza.

In November, European nations expressed outrage over the situation across North Darfur and the Kordofan region, stating that mass killings, sexual violence, starvation, and blockage of humanitarian access constitute crimes against humanity.

US sanctions Colombians fueling RSF atrocities in Sudan