The US has imposed sanctions on Sudan’s leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, citing war crimes amid the nation’s escalating civil conflict.
The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against Sudan’s army chief and leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, citing his role in prolonging the country’s brutal civil war. The conflict, which began in April 2023, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
The US Treasury Department accused Burhan of employing war tactics that include indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets, and hospitals, and extrajudicial executions. These measures follow similar sanctions last week against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Treasury clarified that the sanctions, which freeze Burhan’s US assets and restrict American dealings with him, are intended to demonstrate neutrality in the conflict. Additional sanctions were also imposed on a Sudanese-Ukrainian national and a Hong Kong-based company for allegedly supplying weapons to Sudan’s army.
While speaking on Al Jazeera, Burhan said, “I hear there’s going to be sanctions on the army leadership. We welcome any sanctions for serving this country.”
The Sudanese army and the RSF initially cooperated in a 2021 coup that ousted Sudan’s civilian leadership. However, tensions over plans to integrate their forces escalated into open conflict two years later.
Both factions have faced accusations of war crimes. The US previously determined that the RSF engaged in genocide and attacks on civilians, while the army has been accused of indiscriminate airstrikes, including recent revenge attacks in Wad Madani.
This week, the army captured the strategic city of Wad Madani and vowed to retake Khartoum, Sudan’s capital. However, the ongoing violence has driven half of Sudan’s population into hunger and devastated the nation.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have made repeated efforts to broker peace, including talks in Geneva, but progress has been limited. The army has consistently rejected negotiations, choosing instead to escalate military operations.
In his final press conference as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken expressed regret over the inability to end the conflict, highlighting ongoing human suffering. “We’ll keep working here for the next three days, and I hope the next administration will take that on as well,” Blinken said.
Sudan’s foreign ministry criticised the US sanctions, accusing Washington of expressing “nothing but confusion and a weak sense of justice,” in defending RSF atrocities.
As the war rages on, the prospect for peace remains uncertain, with millions of civilians bearing the brunt of the devastating conflict.
