US imposes sanctions on warring Sudanese factions
The United States on Thursday announced new sanctions against two Sudanese military factions and companies linked to both sides, which fueled a war that has killed hundreds in Africa’s third-largest nation.
The Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan since April 15. a million people.
The sanctions came a day after the Sudan army withdrawn from peace talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah, led by US and Saudi diplomats, whose aim was to stop the fighting and allow humanitarian access to a country where 25 million of the country’s 46 million inhabitants are in dire need of assistance, according to the United Nations.
The Biden administration denied that the sanctions were in response to the failure of those talks. But the move appeared to be a sign of growing international impatience with the rival military factions, whose feud has sent Sudanese refugees to neighboring countries and fueled fears of wider regional conflict.
The sanctions include visa restrictions for officials of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. US officials have not named the names of those facing the restrictions.
More importantly, the Treasury Department has blacklisted two major arms companies affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces and General al-Burhan – Defense Industries System and Sudan Master Technology – preventing Americans from doing business with them doing. It also imposed sanctions on Al Junaid, a gold mining company controlled by General Hamdan’s family, and Tradive, a Rapid Support Forces-controlled company based in the United Arab Emirates that the paramilitary group has used to buy weapons.
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity during a conference call with reporters, said the Biden administration would work with the countries where the four companies operate to ensure compliance with the sanctions.
The White House indicated that sanctions were imminent when President Biden issued an executive order last month to expand authorities to respond to the violence in Sudan.
The senior US official said US diplomacy for Sudan is aimed at securing a ceasefire, but added that the ultimate goal is to get the country back on the path to civilian rule. The official said representatives from both sides are still meeting privately in Saudi Arabia, even though the military has formally withdrawn from the talks.
Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, stressed the dire consequences of the ongoing fighting.
“Despite a ceasefire agreement, senseless violence has continued across the country, hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid and hurting those most in need,” he said in a statement. “The scope and scale of the bloodshed in Khartoum and Darfur in particular is appalling.”
The State Department also imposed visa restrictions on officials affiliated with former dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who was deposed in 2019 after three decades in power.
Before turning against each other in April, the two generals had joined forces and seized power in a coup 20 months ago, derailing a revolution that had led to Mr Bashir’s ousting.
After the military coup in October 2021, the United States frozen $700 million in direct aid to the Sudanese government and suspended debt relief. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have frozen $6 billion in immediate aid and plan to cancel $50 billion in debt. Other governments and institutions, including the African Development Bank, have taken similar steps.