Treasury imposes sanctions on Sudanese Armed Forces commander and arms supplier
ميرم نيوز- واشنطن 16 يناير 2025 نقلا عن موقع وزارة الخزانة الأمريكية
WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today imposed sanctions on Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (al-Burhan), Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, under Executive Order 14098, “Sanctioning Designated Persons Who Destabilize Sudan and Undermine the Goal of Democratic Transition.” This action follows the designation of RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Moussa (Hemedti), on the sanctions list on January 7, 2025. In addition, OFAC sanctioned one company and one individual involved in arms procurement on behalf of the Defense Industries System (DIS), the procurement arm of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which OFAC sanctioned in June 2023.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said: “Today’s action underscores our commitment to seeing an end to this conflict.” “The United States will continue to use our tools to disrupt the flow of arms to Sudan and hold these leaders accountable for their blatant disregard for civilian lives.”
Burhan’s SAF has committed deadly attacks on civilians, including airstrikes against protected infrastructure including schools, markets, and hospitals. The SAF is also responsible for the routine and deliberate denial of humanitarian access, using food deprivation as a war tactic. In December 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that members of the SAF committed war crimes. The SAF’s egregious war tactics, along with those of the RSF, are primarily responsible for one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with famine declared in five regions of the country.
Sudanese Armed Forces Command
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (Burhan) is the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces. In October 2021, al-Burhan and RSF commander Hemedti led a military seizure of power from Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government. Since then, al-Burhan has opposed a return to civilian rule in Sudan and refused to participate in international peace talks to end the fighting, opting for war over good faith negotiations and de-escalation. Under Burhan’s leadership, the SAF’s war tactics have included indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets and hospitals, and extrajudicial executions.
Burhan was designated under Executive Order 1337/2017. 14098, for being a foreign national who is or has been a commander, official, senior executive officer, or board member of the Sudanese Armed Forces, an entity that has engaged or whose members have engaged in acts or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan in connection with the term of office of such commander, official, senior executive officer, or board member.
Sudanese Armed Forces Weapons Supplier
Ahmed Abdalla (Abdalla) is a Sudanese-Ukrainian national and an official of the Defense Industries System (DIS), the primary procurement arm of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Since OFAC’s designation of DIS in June 2023, the company has sought to procure weapons and equipment through informal means. To evade sanctions, DIS conducts procurement activities through ostensibly private companies acting on its behalf. Abdullah is the chief operating officer of Portex Trade Limited, a company that has dealt with entities involved in the sale of military equipment. Notably, Abdullah coordinated the purchase of Iranian-made drones from an Azerbaijani defense company for shipment to Sudan.
Abdullah is designated for being a foreign person owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Defense Industrial System, a person whose property and property interests are blocked by Executive Order 14098.
Portex Trading Company Limited (Portex) is a Hong Kong-based company controlled by Abdullah. Bortex is designated for being a foreign person owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, Abdullah, directly or indirectly, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked by Executive Order 14098.
Humanitarian licenses
In order to ensure that our sanctions do not impede the provision of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, OFAC has issued broad general licenses (GLs) that authorize certain categories of transactions otherwise prohibited by Executive Order 14098. 14098. This includes activities involving Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces; Hemedti, commander of the Rapid Support Forces; and other persons prohibited by E.O. 14098. In particular, 31 CFR § 546.512 of the Sudan Stabilization Sanctions Regulations (SSSR) authorizes certain humanitarian transactions to support NGOs, and 31 CFR § 546.513 of the SSSR authorizes certain transactions related to the provision of agriculture, medicine, and medical devices.
Implications of sanctions
As a result of today’s action, sanctions will be imposed on all property and interests in property of the above-mentioned designated persons located in the United States.
Assets owned by the U.S. or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more prohibited persons are blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempted, U.S. sanctions generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States involving any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise prohibited persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in civil or criminal penalties for U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidance provides more information on OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk being sanctioned for engaging in certain transactions or activities.
The strength and integrity of OFAC’s sanctions stem not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN and blocked persons list, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN list consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information on the process of requesting removal from OFAC’s list, including the Specially Designated Persons list, please refer to OFAC’s FAQ 897 here. For detailed information about the process of submitting a request for removal from the OFAC sanctions list, please click here.
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