The United States on Thursday sanctioned Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing him of waging war instead of pursuing peace to end a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
The U.S. Treasury Department stated that under Burhan’s leadership, the Sudanese army has engaged in indiscriminate bombings, attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and markets, and extrajudicial executions. The measures, announced a week after sanctions against Burhan’s rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), aim to hold both sides accountable.
Burhan dismissed the sanctions in a televised statement, saying, “We welcome any sanctions for serving this country.”
In addition to Burhan, Washington targeted a Sudanese-Ukrainian national and a Hong Kong-based company accused of supplying weapons to the army. The sanctions freeze their U.S. assets and bar Americans from conducting business with them. Exemptions were issued to ensure humanitarian aid efforts remain unaffected.
The civil war, which began in April 2023, stems from a power struggle between the army and the RSF following their joint 2021 coup that ousted Sudan’s civilian government. The fighting has led to severe hunger, with half the population now dependent on aid.
Both the army and RSF have been accused of war crimes. Washington determined the RSF had committed genocide and carried out violent looting in areas under its control. Sudan’s foreign ministry condemned the sanctions, accusing the U.S. of favoring the RSF despite its alleged atrocities.
Efforts by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to mediate peace talks have repeatedly failed. The Sudanese army recently escalated its military campaign, capturing the strategic city of Wad Madani and vowing to retake the capital, Khartoum.
Human rights groups and witnesses have reported indiscriminate airstrikes and attacks on civilians, including recent incidents in Wad Madani.
