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US targets Sudan weapons procurement director with sanctions


FILE - A member of Sudanese armed forces holds his weapon as he and others sit on an army vehicle in Omdurman, Sudan, March 9, 2024.
FILE - A member of Sudanese armed forces holds his weapon as he and others sit on an army vehicle in Omdurman, Sudan, March 9, 2024.

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.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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