Director General of the Sudanese Army’s Defence Industries System was sanctioned because “he has been at the center of weapons deals that have fueled the brutality and scale of the war.”
Altaghyeer: Agencies
The United States sanctioned Director General of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) Defense Industries System, Mirghani Idris Suleiman, for leading the SAF efforts to acquire weapons for use in its ongoing war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced in a statement on Thursday that it sanctioned Idris for being at the center of weapons deals that have fueled the brutality and scale of the war, serving as Director General of Defense Industries System (DIS), the SAF’s primary weapons production and procurement arm.
OFAC indicated that it designated DIS on June 1, 2023, “for being responsible for, or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan.”
Since the beginning of the war, “the SAF has prioritized weapons acquisition, including Iranian drones and a port-for-weapons deal with Russia, choosing to expand the conflict rather than end it through good-faith negotiations. The weapons and diplomatic support provided by Iran and Russia have emboldened the SAF and lessened their interest in deescalating the conflict.” OFAC said.
Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said “Today’s action underscores the essential role that key individuals like Mirghani Idris Suleiman have played in procuring weapons, perpetuating violence, and prolonging the fighting in Sudan”.
He added that “The United States is committed to disrupting the ability of both sides in this conflict to procure weapons and external financing that undermine the possibility of a peaceful resolution.”
According to OFAC action all property and interests in property of the designated persons that are in the United States 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 blocked persons are also blocked.
Washington has sanctioned a number of individuals and entities for providing weapons that fuel the conflict in Sudan including al-Goney, brother of the RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti”.
