US sanctions Sudanese army chief after lethal civilian attacks

The US government has imposed sanctions against the head of Sudan’s army, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, following lethal civilian attacks in the 21-month civil war.

The BBC News reported on January 16^th, that the US treasury department accused Gen Burhan of “destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition”.

The US has accused the army of being “responsible for the routine and intentional denial of humanitarian access, using food deprivation as a war tactic”.

Depriving a civilian population of humanitarian aid as well as food and water is illegal under international humanitarian law.

The sanctions freeze any assets the Sudanese leader, Gen Burhan, has in the US and also block US transactions with him.

However, according to the BBC, multiple human rights organizations have criticized the move, arguing sanctions will reduce further the support for the civilians of Sudan.

Burhan and the Sudanese armed forces have been engaged in a 21-month civil war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and believed to be supported by neighboring Rwanda.

The civil war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over 12 million, pushing the country to the brink of famine.

Dagalo, the head of the RSF, was also sanctioned on January 7^th by the US, accused of genocide. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said in a statement that the “RSF and allied militias had directed attacks against civilians, had systematically killed men and boys on an ethnic basis and targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of sexual violence,” reported by Maghrebi.

There appears to be no resolution for the civil war in sight, with both leaders remaining staunch in their positions. Whilst the Sudanese army have made military gains in January, but the people of Sudan continue to suffer from a lack of aid as the international community continues to leave them behind.

BBC News, Maghrebi