WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against Mirghani Idris Suleiman, a leading figure in the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) efforts to get weapons for the war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Treasury Department said in a statement.
As director of Defense Industries Systems (DIS), the Sudanese army’s primary weapons procurement arm, “Idris has been at the center of weapons deals that have fueled the brutality and scale of the war,” the statement 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,” said Bradley Smith, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
DIS was sanctioned last year by Treasury.
Sudan’s army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The RSF has seized control of large parts of Sudan in a conflict with the army that the United Nations says has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The war has displaced more than 10 million people, driven parts of the country to extreme hunger or famine, and drawn in foreign powers that have given both sides material support.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington with additional reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Editing by Rami Ayyub)
