US Imposes Sanctions on Sudanese Army, RSF

The United States imposed Thursday sanctions on the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for continuing violence across the country and failure to abide by the ceasefire.

A White House statement quoted US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan as saying that the fighting in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces constitutes a tragedy that has caused the loss of a large number of lives so far and must stop.

The statement, which was received on the official website of the White House, continued "Senseless violence continued across the country despite the ceasefire agreement, impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid and endangering those who need it most."

It added that the bloodshed and its intensity had reached an appalling level, especially in Khartoum and Darfur, and that the failure of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to abide by the ceasefire increases Washington's concern that the Sudanese people will once again succumb to prolonged conflict and widespread suffering at the hands of the security forces. He said the United States will continue to do its utmost to prevent this from happening.

The statement pointed out that, on May 4, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order expanding the scope of US powers to respond to acts of violence and help end the conflict. Today, this is embodied in the imposition of economic sanctions and visa restrictions on violent actors and the publication of an updated Trade Alert for Sudan.

In a related development, the US State Department issued a statement in this regard stating that, in accordance with the US President's directives in the executive order issued on May 4, "today we hold the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and entities under their control accountable for actions that threaten peace, security, and stability in Sudan."

The statement added that the United States is taking three specific actions to enhance accountability for actions committed by the two powers, including imposing visa restrictions, imposing economic sanctions, and updating our business advisory for Sudan.

The United States is imposing visa restrictions on specific individuals in Sudan, including officials from the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, and leaders from the former Omar al-Bashir regime, who are responsible for or complicit in undermining Sudan's democratic transition.

The Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, Labor and USAID also issued an update to the business advisory, originally provided in May 2022, to highlight heightened risks to American businesses and individuals exacerbated by the conflict. These include trade in gold from a conflict-affected area, potential business with the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF-owned entities, and other concerns.