Sudan's Procurement Chief Sanctioned

OFAC sanctioned Mirghani Idris Suleiman   for leading the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) efforts to acquire weapons for use in its ongoing war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

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 10.2 million people, including internally displaced people (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency.  

Idris has been at the center of weapons deals that have fueled the brutality and scale of the war, serving as Director General of Defense Industries System (DIS), the SAF’s primary weapons production and procurement arm.

OFAC designated DIS on June 1, 2023, for being responsible for, or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan.

Since the beginning of the war, the SAF has prioritized weapons acquisition, including Iranian drones and a port-for-weapons deal with Russia, choosing to expand the conflict rather than end it through good-faith negotiations, according to the announcement.

“Today’s action underscores the essential role that key individuals like Mirghani Idris Suleiman have played in procuring weapons, perpetuating violence, and prolonging the fighting in Sudan,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.