The United States government has imposed sweeping new sanctions targeting a transnational network accused of fueling the brutal civil war in Sudan, spotlighting a web of recruiters, financiers, and former soldiers—primarily from Colombia—who have been instrumental in bolstering the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The move, announced on December 10, 2025, by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), marks a significant escalation in international efforts to choke off support for a group widely accused of atrocities, including genocide, against Sudan’s civilian population.
The sanctions, as reported by BBC News and confirmed in a US Treasury statement, target eight entities and individuals—four people and four companies—most of whom are Colombian nationals. These actors are accused of recruiting and training ex-Colombian military personnel, and in some cases children, to fight for the RSF, a group that has been locked in a bloody conflict with Sudan’s army since April 2023. The RSF’s campaign has left a devastating mark across Sudan, with nearly 12 million people driven from their homes and famine conditions emerging in several regions.
According to the US Treasury, the RSF “has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians, including infants and young children.” John Hurley, the Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated bluntly, “Its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow.” The statement added that, despite attempts to downplay its actions, the RSF continues to perpetrate atrocities, most recently in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
El Fasher’s fall to the RSF on October 26, 2025, after an 18-month siege, stands as a grim milestone. The city’s capture, described by BBC as the result of a 500-day starvation siege, was followed by mass killings, ethnically targeted torture, and widespread sexual violence. The estimated death toll during the takeover reached at least 5,000, with the RSF’s actions drawing worldwide condemnation. Earlier this year, the US State Department officially determined that members of the RSF had committed genocide—a rare and powerful designation in international law.
Since September 2024, hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have traveled to Sudan, lured by recruitment campaigns promising lucrative, low-risk security work but ultimately finding themselves on the frontlines. These ex-soldiers serve as infantry, artillerymen, drone pilots, vehicle operators, and instructors, with some reportedly tasked with training children as combatants. The US Treasury noted that the Colombian fighters have participated in major battles across Sudan, including in Khartoum, Omdurman, Kordofan, and El Fasher.
The recruitment network at the heart of the sanctions includes several key figures. Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates, is described as playing a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. Quijano’s wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, manages the Bogota-based International Services Agency (A4SI), which has been active in recruiting for roles ranging from drone operators to snipers and translators. According to the US Treasury, A4SI has utilized websites, group chats, and even townhalls to fill these positions.
Another major player is Maine Global Corp SAS, a Bogota-based employment agency managed by Mateo Andres Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish national. Maine Global Corp is accused of managing and disbursing funds for the Colombian fighters, including handling payroll and currency exchanges. The US Treasury detailed that, in 2024 and 2025, millions of US dollars were transferred through Maine Global Corp and related entities, with support from US-based firms associated with Duque. Monica Munoz Ucros, another Colombian national, is named as Maine Global Corp’s alternate manager and as the manager of Comercializadora San Bendito, another firm involved in wire transfers related to the network.
The complexity and reach of this network are underscored by the involvement of international actors and the use of sophisticated financial channels. The US sanctions freeze all property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities within US jurisdiction, and require that such assets be reported to OFAC. The move aims to disrupt the flow of funds and personnel to the RSF, which, according to the US, has relied heavily on the tactical and technical expertise provided by the Colombian recruits.
The backdrop to this mercenary recruitment is a broader pattern of Colombian ex-soldiers seeking work abroad. As BBC News Mundo correspondent José Carlos Cueto reported, the phenomenon traces its roots to the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where Colombian soldiers fought in exchange for American military aid during Colombia’s long struggle against drug cartels and armed groups. “This created an even greater number of Colombian soldiers who, two decades later, are beginning to retire without a sufficient source of income,” explained Alfonso Manzur, a retired military officer turned academic. As a result, “we see more Colombian ex-soldiers on missions abroad.”
The Colombian government, for its part, has expressed alarm at the trend. In 2024, the foreign ministry acknowledged that citizens were being deceived by “sophisticated human trafficking networks” and drawn into mercenary activities in international conflicts. President Gustavo Petro has been unequivocal, stating, “Those who spill young blood for money in foreign countries must be punished criminally.”
The conflict in Sudan shows little sign of abating. The RSF’s gains on the ground have been significant, including the recent capture of Sudan’s largest oil field, Heglig, which the group hailed as “a turning point for the liberation” of the country. Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. On December 9, 2025, at least 114 people, including 63 children, were killed in strikes on a kindergarten and hospital in South Kordofan, a frontline region home to nearly eight million people. The World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called the attack “senseless” and reiterated calls for a ceasefire.
International efforts to restore peace have so far yielded little progress. The US has reaffirmed its commitment to the principles outlined in a September 2025 Joint Statement on Restoring Peace and Security in Sudan, which calls for a three-month humanitarian truce followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transparent transition to a civilian-led government. Yet, with both the RSF and the Sudanese army accused of war crimes, and with outside actors continuing to feed the conflict, the path to peace remains perilous.
As the US tightens the financial screws on those enabling the RSF’s campaign, the world watches to see whether these latest sanctions can stem the tide of violence—or whether they are simply another chapter in a conflict that has already exacted a staggering human cost.
