US sanctions network it says recruits Colombian fighters for Sudan civil war11 hours ago Share Save Hafsa Khalil Share SaveAFP via Getty Images Refugees from el-Fasher - which fell to the paramilitary RSF in recent weeks - have settled in a camp in the northThe US has imposed sanctions on a network it says is recruiting former Colombian soldiers and training individuals to fight in Sudan's civil war. "This created an even greater number of Colombian soldiers who, two decades later, are beginning to retire without a sufficient source of income," a retired military officer turned academic told BBC Mundo. In 2024, the Colombian foreign ministry said it was aware of citizens being deceived by what it called "sophisticated human trafficking networks", and becoming mercenaries in international conflicts. The US has accused the primarily Colombian network of recruiting mercenaries to serve with the RSF, providing "tactical and technical expertise", and even training children to fight. According to its statement, Colombian fighters were involved in "numerous battles across Sudan" including in the capital Khartoum, Omdurman, Kordofan, and el-Fasher.