US sanctions businesses controlled by Sudan army, RSF

Sudan's warring generals, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (L) and RSF commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo 'Hemedti'. PHOTO | ASHRAF SHAZLY | AFP

By REUTERS

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The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on three companies linked to the

warring parties in Sudan, the latest in a series of measures against Sudanese entities aimed at stemming a devastating nine-month war.

The businesses sanctioned are Alkhaleej Bank and Al-Fakher Advanced Works, controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and Zadna International, controlled by the Sudanese army, according to a US Treasury Department statement.

War broke out last April between the two forces, resulting in the devastation of wide swaths of the country, the killing of thousands of civilians, warnings of famine and the world's largest internal displacement crisis.

Read: Nearly 8m displaced by Sudan war, UN says

The RSF are accused by the US of participating in an ethnic cleansing campaign in West Darfur, along with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The army, which has carried out a widespread airstrike campaign, is also accused of war crimes by the US.

"The conflict in Sudan continues, in part, due to key individuals and entities that help fund the continuation of the violence," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.

Alkhaleej Bank is "an essential part of the RSF's efforts to finance its operations" that received $50 million from the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) just before the war broke out, the Treasury Department said.

Holding company Alfakher was used to manage the RSF's lucrative gold exports, its main source of financing to buy weapons.

Read: Sudan fighting intensifies despite US sanctions

Meanwhile, Zadna International was described as a "top revenue-earner" for the Sudanese army. The US Treasury Department said it continued to provide funding and was used for money-laundering.

The sanctions were imposed under a US executive order authorising sanctions on individuals who are destabilising Sudan and undermining the country's democratic transition, the Treasury Department said.

Since the war began, the US has sanctioned the deputy head of the RSF, other major businesses owned by both sides, and other entities.