Sudan Army Chief Sanctioned

Displaced count now 11.5 Million

Posted

OFAC is sanctioning Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan (Burhan), the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under Executive Order (E.O.) 14098, “Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and Undermining the Goal of a Democratic Transition.”

This action follows the designation of the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa , on January 7, 202 .[13310]. In addition, OFAC is sanctioning one company and one individual involved in weapons procurement on behalf of the Defense Industries System (DIS), a procurement arm of the SAF that OFAC sanctioned in June 2023.

Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, has resulted in the displacement of more than 11.5 million people, including internally displaced people (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency.  

“Today’s action underscores our commitment to seeing an end to this conflict,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “The United States will continue to use our tools to disrupt the flow of weapons into Sudan and hold these leaders responsible for their blatant disregard of civilian lives.”

Weapons Supplier

Ahmad Abdalla (Abdalla) is a Sudanese-Ukrainian national and an official of the Defense Industries System (DIS), the primary procurement arm of the SAF. Since OFAC’s June 2023 designation of DIS, the company has sought to procure weapons and equipment through unofficial means. To evade sanctions, DIS conducts procurement activities through ostensibly private companies working on its behalf. Abdalla is the Chief Operating Officer of Portex Trade Limited, a Hong Kong-based company that has transacted with entities involved in the sale of military equipment. Notably, Abdalla coordinated the acquisition of Iranian-made UAVs from an Azerbaijani defense company for shipment to Sudan.

Humanitarian Authorizations

In order to ensure that our sanctions do not impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, OFAC has issued broad general licenses (GLs) that authorize certain categories of transactions otherwise prohibited under E.O. 14098.

This includes activities involving Burhan, the leader of the SAF; Hemedti, the leader of the RSF; and other persons blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098.

In particular, 31 CFR § 546.512 of the Sudan Stabilization Sanctions Regulations (SSSR) authorizes certain humanitarian transactions that are in support of nongovernmental organizations, and 31 CFR § 546.513 of the SSSR authorizes certain transactions related to the provision of agriculture, medicine, and medical devices.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here