US treasury accuses Colombian nationals and companies of aiding the RSF, which has committed horrific war crimes
The United States has sanctioned four people and four companies accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group accused by Washington of committing genocide.
Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US treasury said the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.
Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has committed horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.
The Colombians’ involvement first emerged last year, when an investigation by the Bogotá-based outlet La Silla Vacía found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to fight – prompting an unprecedented apology by Colombia’s foreign ministry.
