UN sanctions RSF leader’s brother, Colombian recruiters over Sudan war

The United Nations has sanctioned Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, brother of the RSF leader, along with three Colombians accused of recruiting former soldiers to fight for the RSF in Sudan. The move, backed by the US, UK, and France, follows evidence that the recruits provided combat support and training, including involving children. The sanctions come amid Sudan’s ongoing war, which has become the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with growing foreign involvement, including hundreds of ex-Colombian fighters.

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, the younger brother of the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with three Colombian nationals accused of playing key roles in recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
According to a statement issued by Britain’s mission to the United Nations, the sanctions were adopted by the Security Council following a joint proposal put forward by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The coordinated move reflects growing international concern over the expansion of foreign involvement in Sudan’s war and the role of external actors in sustaining the conflict.
Among those sanctioned is Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, who is the brother of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The statement indicated that Musa has been instrumental in overseeing and directing efforts by the RSF to acquire weapons and other military equipment, thereby strengthening the paramilitary group’s operational capacity.
The sanctions also target three Colombian nationals identified as Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, and Mateo Andres Duque Botero. According to the UN statement, the trio played a central and coordinated role in recruiting former members of the Colombian armed forces to join the RSF. Their activities are believed to have significantly contributed to the influx of foreign fighters into Sudan.
Further details provided in the statement cited video and photographic evidence showing the three Colombians actively supporting RSF operations on the ground. They were reportedly involved in providing tactical and technical expertise to RSF fighters, serving in various combat and support roles such as infantry and artillery personnel, drone operators, vehicle operators, and military instructors. Disturbingly, the evidence also indicated that some of these individuals were involved in training children to participate in combat operations under the RSF.
This latest round of sanctions follows a similar action taken in February, when Britain, in collaboration with France and the United States, successfully pushed for sanctions against four RSF commanders. Those measures were linked to atrocities committed during the RSF’s siege of Al Fasher, a key city in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Reports have also confirmed that Colombian mercenaries have taken part in multiple battles across Sudan, including in major locations such as the capital Khartoum, the neighboring city of Omdurman, as well as in Kordofan and Al Fasher. Their involvement underscores the increasingly international dimension of the conflict.
Sudan’s war, now entering its third year, is being fought between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. The prolonged fighting has led to widespread devastation and displacement, creating what humanitarian organizations have described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.
Earlier in April, the United States independently imposed sanctions on five companies and individuals accused of facilitating the recruitment of former Colombian military personnel to fight for the RSF. US officials stated that hundreds of ex-Colombian soldiers had been recruited and deployed to Sudan in support of the paramilitary group, further intensifying the conflict and complicating efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution.