Sudan War Enters Fourth Year as US Sanctions Colombian Mercenary Network
Primary region Africa
Tags Security · Diplomacy
Regions Africa
On April 17, marking three years since Sudan's civil war began, the US Treasury sanctioned five individuals and entities involved in recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight for the Rapid Support Forces. The recruitment network was led by retired Colombian officer Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra through companies A4SI and Fénix Human Resources. Since April 2023, over 150,000 have been killed and more than 14 million displaced. The Trump administration called on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF to accept an unconditional three-month humanitarian truce. A Berlin international conference co-hosted by Germany, France, UK, US, AU, and EU urged joint efforts to end the war.
Strategic interpretation
The Colombian mercenary dimension reveals the war's internationalization — the RSF is increasingly relying on foreign fighters as its domestic recruitment base erodes. The US sanctions signal growing frustration with the conflict's trajectory but lack enforcement mechanisms on the ground. The Berlin conference produced rhetoric but no binding commitments, and the Quad mechanism (US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE) has failed to bridge the gap between the SAF's refusal to negotiate and the RSF's conditional acceptance of a truce.