The US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions Feb. 2 on a Sudanese financial institution and two private companies accused of funding belligerents in the ongoing civil war in the African country. The sanctions name Alkhaleej Bank and metal ore company Al-Fakher Advanced Works, said to be controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as development company Zadna International, controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). In a press release, the Treasury Department accused the companies of fueling the conflict, laundering money, and engaging in “actions of policies that threaten the peace, security and stability of Sudan.”
Under-Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism & Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson announced that the government was taking the action pursuant to Executive Order 14098, signed by Biden last May in response to the conflict, and expressed the department’s dedication to disrupting funding to the belligerents.
“The conflict in Sudan continues, in part, due to key individuals and entities that help fund the continuation of violence,” the press release said. It stated that the goal of the sanctions is not to punish but to bring about a “positive change in behavior.” The sanctions freeze assets from the companies in the US or in possession of US persons, unless expressly exempt. They also prohibit transactions with the companies by US nationals or persons within the US.
The latest conflict in Sudan began in April 2023. According to the UN, 7.6 million people have been displaced by the fighting, in addition to more than 13,000 killed, amid numerous human rights abuses alleged against both the RSF and SAF. The EU adopted sanctions in January against six entitles linked to the conflict.
Despite the spiraling humanitarian crisis, Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattan al-Burhan has insisted that no ceasefire is in the offing, citing reports of RSF ethnic cleansing in Darfur region. “The whole world witnessed these rebel forces committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in West Darfur and the rest of Sudan,” he said. “For that reason, we have no reconciliation with them, we have no agreement with them.”
From Jurist, Feb. 2. Used with permission.
Note: The European Union sanctions targeted two companies based in the United Arab Emirates, which is accused of backing the RSF.
Map: PCL
Internet silence in Sudan
All of Sudan’s three main internet providers have been completely shut down, according to a post from internet monitor Netblocks, significantly disrupting communications for individuals within conflict zones and those trying to escape violence. The cause of the shutdown remains a subject of dispute, with the Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) pointing fingers at each other, further complicating the dire situation as the country grapples with its humanitarian crisis. (Jurist)
‘Horrific’ abuses seen in Sudan war
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report Feb. 23 detailing multiple indiscriminate attacks by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in densely populated areas, including sites sheltering internally displaced people—particularly in the capital Khartoum, as well as in Kordorfan and Darfur—during fighting between April and December 2023.
No truce in Sudan as starvation warnings grow
Calls last week for a Ramadan ceasefire in Sudan have fallen on deaf ears, as the army scores more battlefield victories and humanitarian groups continue to warn of alarming levels of hunger. The UN Security Council, which has been criticized for paying scant attention to the war, passed a resolution March 8 calling for an immediate truce, but thearmy said it would not respect the resolution without concessions from the rival Rapid Support Forces.
The military has been on the backfoot throughout the 11-month conflict, but achieved one of its biggest victories this week as it took control over a state television and radio complexin Omdurman—and vowed to track down RSF fighters across the country. The chest-thumping comes as Save the Children warns that nearly 230,000 children and new mothers will likely die from hunger in the coming months without urgent action. (TNH)
RSF closing ring around El Fasher
A key battle is looming between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the city of El Fasher in northern Darfur, home to two million people. The RSF has encircled the city, the last urban center held by the army in Darfur, and have choked off water, and food and fuel supplies. The UN has warned that a full assault would have “devastating consequences for civilians” in a region that is already on the brink of famine. At risk are also those in El Fasher’s displacement camps, home to hundreds of thousands of survivors of the genocide in the early 2000s perpetrated by the Janjaweed militia that later formed the core of the RSF. Both the army and RSF have been accused of atrocities in recent fighting. The battle for El Fasher could mark either the beginning of the end of the RSF, or the country’s effective dismemberment and birth of a new RSF-controlled state in Darfur. (TNH)
UN urges unrestricted access for Sudan aid delivery
World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson in Sudan, Leni Kinzli, called May 3 for unrestricted access and security assurances to deliver aid to families struggling to survive amid devastating violence in Darfur and other conflict zones across Sudan, saying “time is running out to prevent starvation.” (Jurist)