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US Imposes Sanctions on Network it Accuses of Recruiting Colombians in Support of Sudan’s RSF

Sudanese refugee children from el-Fasher stand at sunset in the Tine transit camp amid the conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Army, in eastern Chad, November 23, 2025. (Reuters)
Sudanese refugee children from el-Fasher stand at sunset in the Tine transit camp amid the conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Army, in eastern Chad, November 23, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Imposes Sanctions on Network it Accuses of Recruiting Colombians in Support of Sudan’s RSF

Sudanese refugee children from el-Fasher stand at sunset in the Tine transit camp amid the conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Army, in eastern Chad, November 23, 2025. (Reuters)
Sudanese refugee children from el-Fasher stand at sunset in the Tine transit camp amid the conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Army, in eastern Chad, November 23, 2025. (Reuters)

The US imposed sanctions on Tuesday on actors it accuses of fueling the war in Sudan, taking aim at what it said was a transnational network that recruits former Colombian military personnel and trains soldiers, including children, to fight for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that it imposed sanctions on four individuals and four entities that were part of the network, which it said was largely comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

“The RSF has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians, including infants and young children. Its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow,” Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley said in the statement.

It said since the beginning of the conflict in April 2023, the RSF and its allied militias have repeatedly targeted civilians, systematically killing men and boys, even infants, and deliberately assaulting women and girls through rape and other forms of sexual violence. “Despite recent attempts to downplay its misdeeds, the RSF continues to perpetrate these atrocities, most recently in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur,” the statement continued.

It said that supported by Colombian fighters, the RSF captured El Fasher on October 26, 2025, after an 18-month siege, and subsequently engaged in mass killings of civilians, ethnically targeted torture, and sexual violence.

On January 7, 2025, the State Department announced its determination that members of the RSF committed genocide.

The US said it remains committed to the principles outlined in the September 12, 2025, Joint Statement on Restoring Peace and Security in Sudan, which calls for a three-month humanitarian truce followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transparent transition process leading to an independent, civilian-led government.

The Treasury statement said that since September 2024, hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have traveled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF.

These Colombians provide the RSF with tactical and technical expertise, serving as infantry and artillerymen, drone pilots, vehicle operators, and instructors, with some even training children to fight in the RSF.

The Colombian fighters have participated in numerous battles across Sudan, including in its capital, Khartoum, as well as Omdurman, Kordofan, and el-Fasher. The presence of Colombian fighters in Sudan would not be possible without the assistance of numerous individuals and companies, mostly from Colombia.

Among those targeted was Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national, is a retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates who plays a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to Sudan.

Quijano, a former associate of the Colombia-based Notre del Valle Cartel, is supported by a network of associates and companies that specializes in recruiting fighters and facilitating the movement of funds related to their deployment.

In Colombia, Bogota-based International Services Agency (A4SI), an employment agency that Quijano co-founded, is the main recruiting node, having engaged in campaigns via its website, group chats, and townhalls to fill positions, including drone operators, snipers, and translators.

Quijano’s wife, Colombian national Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, is A4SI’s owner and manager.

As for Maine Global Corp SAS (Maine Global Corp), it is a Bogota, Colombia-based employment agency managed by dual Colombian-Spanish national Mateo Andres Duque Botero, who serves as the shareholder, president, director or manager of firms in Colombia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Maine Global Corp manages and disburses funds for Global Staffing and the company that hired the Colombians, with the support of US-based firms associated with Duque.

This includes processing payroll payments for the Colombian fighters and serving as a foreign exchange intermediary, converting euros and Colombian pesos to US dollars, the Treasury statement showed.

It said in 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totaling millions of US dollars, with Maine Global Corp, Global Staffing, and the company hiring the Colombian fighters.

The statement added that Colombian national Monica Munoz Ucros, is Maine Global Corp’s alternate manager and the manager of Bogota, Colombia-based Comercializadora San Bendito, which engaged in wire transfers with a US company associated with Duque and directly with Duque.

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World

Over 8,000 Flights Canceled as Major Winter Storm Bears Down across Much of the US

A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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Over 8,000 Flights Canceled as Major Winter Storm Bears Down across Much of the US

A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A Nashville Department of Transportation truck applies salt brine to a roadway Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the state over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

More than 8,000 flights across the US set to take off over the weekend have been canceled as a major storm expected to wreak havoc across much of the country bears down, threatening to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways.

Roughly 140 million people were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warns of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina.

Forecasters warned that damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane, The Associated Press said.

By Friday night, the edge of the storm was sending freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas while snow and sleet were falling in Oklahoma. After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told residents on the social media platform X that the state Department of Transportation was pretreating the roads and told residents, “Stay home if possible.”

More than 3,400 flights were delayed or canceled Saturday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. More than 5,000 were called off for Sunday.

Angela Exstrom was supposed to fly back to Omaha, Nebraska, from a trip in Mexico, but she learned her Saturday flight out of Houston had been canceled. So instead, she is going back via Los Angeles.

“If you live in the Midwest and travel in the winter, stuff can happen,” she said.

Frigid temperatures and ice Utility companies braced for power outages because ice-coated trees and power lines can keep falling long after a storm has passed.

The Midwest saw wind chills as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 Celsius), meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes.

In Bismarck, North Dakota, where the wind chill was minus 41 (minus 41 Celsius), Colin Cross was bundled up Friday in long johns, two long-sleeve shirts, a jacket, hat, hood, gloves and boots as he cleaned out an empty unit for the apartment complex where he works.

“I’ve been here awhile and my brain stopped working,” Cross said.

The storm has been a popular topic of discussion for days at Saint Paul Mini Market in Baltimore.

“Every single person that walks in talks about the storm,” said owner Ayaz Ahmed.

“Somehow, this time around, they did a good job letting people know that here’s a storm coming their way, and everybody knows about the storm, but how to deal with that is another thing,” Ahmed said.

Government prepares to respond

The federal government put nearly 30 search and rescue teams on standby. Officials had more than 7 million meals, 600,000 blankets and 300 generators placed throughout the area the storm was expected to cross, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.”

After the storm passes, it will take a while to thaw out. Ice can add hundreds of pounds to power lines and branches and make them more susceptible to snapping, especially if it's windy.

In at least 11 Southern states from Texas to Virginia, a majority of homes are heated by electricity, according to the US Census Bureau.

A severe cold snap five years ago took down much of the power grid in Texas, leaving millions without power for days and resulting in hundreds of deaths. Abbott vowed that will not happen again, and utility companies were bringing in thousands of employees to help keep the lights on.

Church, Carnival and classes canceled

Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Carnival parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.

Philadelphia announced schools would be closed Monday. Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. told students, “It’s also appropriate to have one or two very safe snowball fights.”

Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi's main campus in Oxford.

At the University of Georgia, in Athens, sophomore Eden England stayed on campus to ride things out with friends, even as the school encouraged students to leave dorms and go home because of concerns about losing power.

“I’d rather be with my friends,” England said, “kind of struggling together if anything happens.”

World

China's Top General under Investigation in Latest Military Purge

FILE - Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
FILE - Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
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China's Top General under Investigation in Latest Military Purge

FILE - Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
FILE - Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

The Chinese military's top general is being investigated for suspected serious violations of discipline and law the Defense Ministry said Saturday,

Zhang Youxia, the senior of the two vice chairs of the powerful Central Military Commission, is the latest figure to fall in a long-running purge of military officials, The Associated Press said.

Analysts believe the purges are designed both to reform the military and to ensure loyalty to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who also chairs the military commission. They are part of a broader anti-corruption drive that has punished more than 200,000 officials since Xi came to power in 2012.

Another member of the commission, Liu Zhenli, has also been placed under investigation by China's ruling Communist Party, a Defense Ministry statement said. Liu is the chief of staff of the commission's Joint Staff Department. The commission is the top military body in China.

The statement did not provide any details on the alleged wrongdoing.

Zhang, who is 75, joined the People's Liberation Army in 1968 and is a general from its ground forces.

The Communist Party expelled the other vice chair of the commission, He Weidong, last October and replaced him with commission member Zhang Shengmin.

In 2024, the party expelled two former defense ministers over corruption charges.

The Trump administration released a new National Defense Strategy on Friday acknowledging China as a military power that it said needs to be deterred from dominating the US or its allies.

“This does not require regime change or some other existential struggle,” the strategy said. “Rather, a decent peace, on terms favorable to Americans but that China can also accept and live under, is possible.”

World

Greenland, Denmark Set Aside Troubled History to Face Down Trump

Greenland and Denmark put their difficult past to one side to face the greater threat from the United States. Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP
Greenland and Denmark put their difficult past to one side to face the greater threat from the United States. Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP
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Greenland, Denmark Set Aside Troubled History to Face Down Trump

Greenland and Denmark put their difficult past to one side to face the greater threat from the United States. Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP
Greenland and Denmark put their difficult past to one side to face the greater threat from the United States. Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

Greenland and Denmark have formed a united front to face down US President Donald Trump, momentarily setting aside the troubled history between them.

The Arctic island, a Danish colony for three centuries, still has a complicated relationship with Denmark, which now rules it as an autonomous territory.

Greenland's main political parties all want independence, but disagree on how exactly to get there. Trump's designs on the island led them to forge a coalition government in March last year, AFP said.

Greenland's leaders made clear last week they had no interest in Trump's bid to take over the vast island -- an idea he pushed hard, before backing off on Wednesday after reaching what he called a framework deal on Arctic security with NATO's secretary-general.

"Greenlanders still have a lot of grievances concerning Denmark's lack of ability to reconsider its colonial past," said Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS).

"But Trump's pressure has prompted the wide majority of the political spectrum that forms (Greenland's) coalition government to put independence preparations -- always a long-term project -- aside for now," he told AFP.

"The clear European support has made this easier in the sense that the relation to Denmark feels a lot less claustrophobic when joined by others," he added.

While the main Greenland parties differ on how to achieve independence, the growing US pressure led them in March 2025 to put their differences to one side to form their coalition.

Only the Naleraq party, which wants a fast track to independence, stayed in opposition.

At the height of the crisis, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made it clear that if the government had to choose between the United States and Denmark, it would choose Denmark.

Colonial past

Trump's talk of a framework deal negotiated with NATO chief Mark Rutte prompted Denmark and Greenland to reiterate that only they can take decisions concerning them.

In the last month of diplomatic back-and-forth, Greenland and Denmark have presented a united front, speaking with one voice.

On January 14, Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt was in Washington alongside her Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen for talks with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

By Monday, she was in Brussels for talks with Rutte, this time with Denmark's Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

But that unity conceals the scars of their colonial past.

Greenland was a Danish colony from the early 18th century. It became a Danish territory in 1953, a full part of Denmark -- before becoming an autonomous territory in 1979, a status that was strengthened in 2009.

"It's a long history. It has gone through different stages," said Astrid Andersen, a specialist in Danish-Greenlandic relations at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

"Any colonial relation is a question of domination and there have been some injustices committed."

Forced sterilization

Those injustices include a 1951 social experiment in which 22 Inuit children were forcibly separated from their families and prevented from speaking Greenlandic -- part of bid to create a Danish-speaking elite.

In 2021, the six still alive were each awarded compensation of 250,000 crowns (33,500 euros).

Another dark chapter was Denmark's efforts from the 1960s and for three decades on to reduce the birth rate in Greenland.

Several thousand women and teenagers -- at least 4,000 -- had IUDs fitted without their consent to prevent them conceiving.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has presented her apologies to the women concerned -- nearly half of whom were unable to have children -- and a compensation procedure is underway.

Denmark's social services even used controversial psychological tests to -- as they saw it -- evaluate if Greenlandic mothers were fit to be parents.

A 2022 study showed that in metropolitan Denmark, children born to Greenlandic families were five to seven times more at risk of being placed in children's homes than those born to Danish families.

The use of such tests was only discontinued last year.

The recent debate over these issues has, for the moment, been put to one side, said Andersen.

"Right now I think there's a general agreement with a few exceptions that the common opponent right now is Trump and we kind of need to face this together somehow."