THE U.S SLAPS SANCTIONS ON SUDAN’S WARLORDS

The U.S Slaps Sanctions on Sudan’s Warlords

The U.S Slaps Sanctions on Sudan’s Warlords

By Ml. Luqman Skink, INX Prime news and current affairs editor

Sudan’s civil war has been described by the United Nations as one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

Since April 2023, the country has been devastated by an armed conflict that has pitted its army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The war has killed tens of thousands, uprooted more than 12 million and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

Sudan’s defacto leader and Armed Forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

Sudan’s defacto leader and Armed Forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (Photo by AFP)

WARLORDS ACCUSED OF ’GENOCIDE’

In 2020, US President Donald Trump formally removed Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, ending nearly 30 years of sanctions since the African country was placed on the list.

Fast-forward to January 2025 and the US treasury department has slapped sanctions on both of Sudan’s warlords, accusing General Burhan of ”destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition”.

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo was also sanctioned by the US after they accused him of committing genocide during the conflict.

For most observers, it is truly ironic that the U.S did not find its voice to sanction Israel, which has been conducting the worst genocide of the century over more than 15 months in Gaza.

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Photo by ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP)

WILL SANCTIONS STOP THE WAR?

While conflict resolution NGOs have welcomed the decision, many organisations and analysts fear that the move may be ’too little, too late.’

The announcement deals a setback to the RSF’s efforts to improve its image and assert its legitimacy, including attempts to establish a civilian government. The paramilitary group aims to expand its territory beyond the area it currently controls, which amounts to about half the country.

Observers have criticised the sanctions as nothing more than a reflection of a guilty conscience by the US administration which made the move less than two weeks before Biden left the White House.

THE WORLD’S FORGOTTEN HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Both armies are accused of using hunger as a weapon of war and hampering the passage of humanitarian aid.

The country remains largely underfunded and the crisis in Sudan has been mostly forgotten.

Both the army and the RSF are accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians and indiscriminately shelling residential areas.

A child and a man wait to collect food

A child and a man wait to collect food at a location set up by a local humanitarian organisation to donate meals and medication to people displaced by the war in Sudan (Photo by AFP)

SUDANESE ARMY RECAPTURES CITY OF WAD MADANI

Sudan’s army has recaptured Wad Madani, a strategically important city some 200km southeast of the capital Khartoum, in a major blow to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who had dominated the Al-Jazira state since December 2023.

Wad Madani is at the crossroads of key supply highways linking several states and whoever has control of the agricultural and trading hub has easier access to other parts of the country.

In the early days of the conflict, before the RSF took over, the city was a safe haven for displaced families. Since the RSF’s takeover, it has been one of the sites of the paramilitary force’s bloodiest attacks on civilians, as well as the burning of fields, looting of hospitals and markets, and flooding of irrigation ditches.

People celebrate the advance of Sudanese military

People take to the streets of Port Sudan to celebrate the advance of Sudanese military on the key Al-Jazira state capital Wad Madani on 11 January 2025 (Photo by AFP)

WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR SUDAN’S BRUTAL WAR?

Despite recent gains by the Sudanese Armed Forces, total victory remains elusive, and with the RSF still in firm control of most of Western Sudan, a negotiated settlement remains the only viable option.

The perceived weakness of the SAF was seen as an obstacle to the advancement of peace talks; but the recent victory of the army in Wad Madani and its sweeping offensive to retake the capital Khartoum late last year all augur well for the success of the Jeddah peace talks.

However, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s hardline position of rejecting negotiations with the RSF while denouncing the UAE for backing his adversary bring little hope for the end of the man-made humanitarian crisis with half the country facing acute food insecurity.

SUDAN’S REGIONAL, ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

Sudan’s geostrategic location is paramount; it straddles North, Central and the Horn of Africa with 650 kilometers of Red Sea coastline, a body of water that accounts for 10% of global trade and connects Asian and European markets.

It is endowed with natural resources and is Africa’s third largest gold producer, has major oil reserves and produces over 80% of the world’s gum Arabic.

Also, a refugee crisis on Sudan’s borders with Ethiopia and South Sudan could further destabilise the region as those two countries struggle to keep fragile peace deals in place.

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