John Adoyi
Sudan has condemned the United States’ decision to sanction General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s Armed Forces, calling the move a “disrespect” to the Sudanese people.
The sanctions, imposed by the US Treasury Department, freeze al-Burhan’s assets in the US and prohibit Americans from conducting business with him, citing his role in the ongoing civil war that has devastated Sudan for nearly two years.
The conflict, which erupted on 15 April 2023, pits the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Tensions between the two military factions escalated into a violent power struggle, plunging Sudan into chaos and leading to what the United Nations described as the world’s largest displacement and humanitarian crisis.
The Sudanese government’s statement characterized the sanctions as biased and unjust, asserting that they undermine Sudan’s fight against what it described as “terrorist militias” and “genocide.”
“This decision is a great disrespect to the Sudanese people, who stand fully behind their leader, the Armed Forces, and Commander Burhan, who leads the fight for honor against the terrorist Janjaweed militias,” the statement read.
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The government criticized the timing of the sanctions, noting that they came shortly after the U.S. concluded that the RSF had committed genocide in Sudan.
“The U.S. administration’s decision to impose sanctions on the commander of the armed forces, who defends the Sudanese people against the genocide plan, just days before the administration’s term ends, reflects confusion and a weak sense of confidence,” the statement continued.
Sudan reaffirmed its resolve to resist the RSF and declared that the sanctions would not deter the nation’s efforts to “cleanse this cancer from their land.”
The US Treasury Department also sanctioned RSF leader Hemedti and his family on 7 January 2025, accusing them of genocide and refusing to engage in ceasefire negotiations.
The sanctions aim to hold both leaders accountable for their roles in the conflict and the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded.
In his first public response to the sanctions, al-Burhan dismissed their significance, stating, “We welcome any sanctions for the sake of serving this country. Whoever wants to impose sanctions, let them impose them.”
The Humanitarian Toll
The war has left Sudan in shambles. Over 14 million people have been displaced, including more than 11 million internally and 3 million who have fled to neighboring countries. The UN estimates that 30.4 million Sudanese require humanitarian assistance, while the health system has collapsed, and food insecurity has reached critical levels.
Death tolls vary widely, with estimates from the UN suggesting over 20,000 killed, while the Sudan Research Group reports more than 61,000 deaths in Khartoum alone during the first 14 months of the conflict. Starvation, preventable diseases, and violence have ravaged the nation, with ethnic cleansing and sexual violence reported, particularly in Darfur where the RSF are based.
Ceasefire negotiations have been held multiple times but no concrete resolutions have been agreed.
