International

US Sanctions Sudan’s Army Chief Citing War Crimes

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader and head of the army of Sudan, has been sanctioned by the United States on charges that he has put war ahead of peace talks to resolve the conflict, which has resulted in countless deaths and displacements.

Under Burhan’s command, the army has carried out extrajudicial murders, attacks on hospitals, schools, and marketplaces, as well as indiscriminate bombardment of civilian infrastructure, according to the US Treasury Department.

Just one week after the United States placed sanctions on Burhan’s opponent, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), these actions were publicized.

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Sources familiar with the action indicated that Thursday’s sanctions were intended, in part, to demonstrate that Washington was not taking sides in the conflict.

Earlier on Thursday, Burhan responded defiantly to the prospect of being targeted, stating, “I hear there’s going to be sanctions on the army leadership. We welcome any sanctions for serving this country,” in comments broadcast on Al Jazeera television.

Washington also issued sanctions related to the supply of weapons to the army, targeting a Sudanese-Ukrainian national and a Hong Kong-based company. These sanctions freeze any US assets held by those targeted and generally prohibit Americans from conducting business with them. The Treasury Department also issued authorizations to allow specific transactions, including those involving the warring generals, to avoid impeding humanitarian aid.

Background

The Sudanese army and the RSF jointly led a coup in 2021, removing Sudan’s civilian leadership, but their alliance collapsed less than two years later due to disagreements over integrating their forces. The resulting war, which began in April 2023, has left half of Sudan’s population facing hunger.

US Sanctions Sudan's Army Chief Citing War Crimes

Dagalo, known as Hemedti, was sanctioned following a determination by Washington that his forces had committed genocide and attacks on civilians. The RSF has also been accused of engaging in widespread looting in the areas they control.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have made multiple attempts to bring both sides to the negotiating table, but the army has consistently rejected these efforts, including talks in Geneva in August aimed at facilitating humanitarian access.

Instead, the army has intensified its military campaign, recently capturing the strategic city of Wad Madani and vowing to retake the capital Khartoum.

Rights experts and residents have accused the army of indiscriminate airstrikes and attacks on civilians, with recent incidents of revenge attacks in Wad Madani this week. The US had previously determined both the army and the RSF had committed war crimes.

In his final press conference before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed “real regret” that Washington had not been able to end the conflict during his term. He noted some improvements in humanitarian access through US diplomacy but lamented the ongoing violence, abuse, and suffering. He stated that the US would keep working for the next three days and expressed hope that the next administration would continue the effort.

Source: The EastAfrican

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