US sanctions network it says recruits Colombian fighters for Sudan's civil war

The US Treasury said the network of four entities and four individuals is primarily Colombian.

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Eight entities and individuals - primarily of Colombian nationality - have been aiding the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on Tuesday.

Its statement added that hundreds of Colombian mercenaries have travelled to Sudan since 2024, including to serve as infantry and drone pilots for the RSF.

Last year, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said those who "spill young blood for money in foreign countries must be punished criminally".

The participation of soldiers - both former and active - in foreign conflicts dates back decades to the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, in exchange for American military aid in Colombia's war on drugs and armed groups.