U.S. imposes sanctions on Sudan’s military ruler Abdelfattah Al-Burhan

WASHINGTON – The U.S. government-imposed sanctions on Sudanese army chief Abdelfattah al-Burhan on Thursday, accusing him of prioritizing war over peace and exacerbating the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands and displaced millions.

In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department highlighted Burhan’s role in overseeing the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) during a brutal war against the opposition. The U.S. government condemned the army’s tactics, which have included indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, including schools, markets, and hospitals, as well as extrajudicial executions.

“Burhan’s SAF has committed lethal attacks on civilians, including airstrikes against protected infrastructure including schools, markets, and hospitals. The SAF is also responsible for the routine and intentional denial of humanitarian access, using food deprivation as a war tactic,” the U.S. department said in its statement.

The Treasury Department also noted that the SAF has used food deprivation as a weapon of war, blocking humanitarian aid to those in need. These actions, the U.S. says, have directly contributed to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with famine declared in five regions of Sudan.

“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.”

The sanctions, which freeze any of Burhan’s U.S.-based assets, also bar Americans from conducting transactions with him. This comes just a week after similar sanctions were imposed on Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s other warring faction.

Burhan, who co-led the 2021 coup that ousted Sudan’s civilian leadership, has rejected international efforts to mediate peace and has refused to engage in talks aimed at de-escalating the violence.

“Burhan is being designated pursuant to E.O. 14098, for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the SAF, an entity that has, or whose members have, engaged in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan relating to the tenure of such leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors,” the statement said.

Alongside Burhan’s designation, the Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on a Sudanese Ukrainian individual and a Hong Kong-based company involved in weapons procurement on behalf of the Defense Industries System (DIS), a key procurement arm of the SAF.

Ahmad Abdalla, a Sudanese Ukrainian national, and his company Portex Trade Limited have been accused of facilitating the purchase of military equipment, including Iranian-made drones, for the SAF.

The sanctions on these individuals and entities are part of a broader U.S. effort to prevent the continued flow of weapons into Sudan, further fueling the war. This includes freezing the assets of these individuals and barring U.S. citizens and companies from engaging with them.

The United States has also issued exceptions to the sanctions, allowing for transactions related to humanitarian aid, so as not to impede efforts to assist those suffering due to the conflict.

The U.S. government’s actions come at a time when Sudan’s civilian population is enduring immense hardship. As the war, which began in April 2023, continues, half of Sudan’s population is facing severe hunger. The conflict escalated after disagreements between Burhan and Dagalo over military integration plans, leading to a brutal civil war.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed regret that efforts to end the fighting have failed under his watch. Despite improvements in getting humanitarian aid to Sudan, Blinken lamented that the violence and abuses continue unabated.

“We’ll keep working here for the next three days, and I hope the next administration will take that on as well,” Blinken said, emphasizing the ongoing struggle to stop the violence and bring peace to the region.

The U.S. also sanctioned Hemedti, the leader of the RSF, on January 7, 2025, for his forces’ involvement in committing genocide and their attacks on civilians. Both the SAF and RSF are accused of war crimes, further complicating efforts to mediate peace in Sudan.