International

US Sanctions Sudan’s Military Leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

Published

3 months ago

Jan 17, 2025.

Dennis

US imposes sanctions on Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for civilian attacks and humanitarian blockades.
Similar measures were taken against RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo for human rights abuses and genocide in Darfur.
Conflict in Sudan has displaced over 8 million people, with famine spreading and peace talks stalled.

The outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has imposed sanctions on Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing him of destabilizing Sudan and perpetuating violence in the war-torn country.

In a statement released Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department said that under al-Burhan’s leadership, the SAF has “committed lethal attacks on civilians, including airstrikes on protected infrastructure such as schools, markets, and hospitals.” The statement also accused the SAF of systematically blocking humanitarian aid and using food deprivation as a weapon of war.

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The sanctions against al-Burhan come shortly after similar measures were taken against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group engaged in a bloody conflict with the SAF since April 2023. According to the Treasury Department’s January 7 statement, the RSF under Dagalo’s leadership has committed “serious human rights abuses, including widespread sexual violence and the execution of defenceless civilians and unarmed fighters.”

The U.S. also accused the RSF and allied militias of carrying out acts of genocide in western Sudan’s Darfur region.

The conflict between the SAF and RSF has devastated Sudan, claiming thousands of lives and plunging the nation into a severe humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, over 8 million people have been internally displaced, while 3 million more have fled to neighbouring countries. Late last month, a UN-backed hunger-monitoring group reported that famine is spreading rapidly across Sudan, with confirmed famine conditions in parts of Darfur and other regions.

During a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the SAF for targeting civilians and obstructing peace efforts. “It’s refused to participate in ceasefire talks we’ve sought to convene and, along with the RSF, has caused what is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” he said. Blinken also expressed hope that the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office on Monday, would continue efforts to end the conflict. “It is, for me, a deep regret that we haven’t been able, on our watch, to achieve success in Sudan,” Blinken added.

Meanwhile, al-Burhan responded defiantly to the sanctions. Speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic on Thursday, he said, “Any sanctions in service of the country, we would welcome them.”