Burhan, the head of the Sudanese army, will face penalties from the US

NAIROBI (Reuters) Three people with firsthand knowledge of the situation told Reuters that the United States will put financial penalties on Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the army in Sudan.

Only a week after enacting penalties against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Burhan’s adversary in a civil war that has been going on for two years, Washington was scheduled to make the announcement.

According to two of the individuals, one of the goals of Burhan’s penalties was to demonstrate that Washington was impartial.

Speaking to his troops earlier Thursday, Burhan expressed defiance at the possibility that he may be singled out.

“I’ve heard that the army leadership would face punishment. In remarks shown on Al Jazeera television, he stated, “We welcome any sanctions for serving this country.”

Requests for comment were not immediately answered by representatives of the US Treasury and State departments or the Sudanese army.

Less than two years after leading a coup in 2021 to overthrow Sudan’s democratic government, the RSF and the Sudanese army clashed over plans to merge their troops.

Tens of thousands of people have died, millions have been displaced, and half of the population is now hungry as a result of the conflict that started in April 2023.

One of the sources, a diplomat, stated that the army’s targeting of people and civilian infrastructure, its refusal to take part in peace negotiations last year, and its denial of access to humanitarian supplies were among the reasons for Burhan’s sanctions.

Washington imposed sanctions on Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, after concluding that his troops had attacked people and committed genocide. In the area under its control, the RSF has carried out violent looting operations.

The army has resisted most attempts by the United States and Saudi Arabia to bring the two sides to the bargaining table, including discussions in Geneva in August that were partly intended to provide humanitarian access.

Instead, the army has intensified its military effort, retaking the capital Khartoum and capturing the strategically important city of Wad Madani this week.

The army has been accused by rights experts and locals of indiscriminate bombings and assaults on civilians, including this week’s retaliatory attacks in Wad Madani. The army and RSF had already been found guilty of war crimes by the US.