Biden Administration moves toward sanctions concerning Sudan
This morning, the Biden Administration announced it is moving toward imposing sanctions on persons who are destabilizing Sudan and undermining the country’s democratic transition.
The announcement comes nearly three weeks after the country’s official military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) plunged Sudan into the nightmare scenario we have long feared. Heavy urban fighting between the two sides in Khartoum has since spilled out to many other parts of the country.
Conservative estimates state that nearly 600 people have been killed and over 5,000 more wounded, with more than 100,000 people having fled the country the last few weeks. Dozens of hospitals and healthcare facilities have been attacked. The UN estimates another 860,000 more people will flee the country in the coming weeks.
A Sudanese fighter jet flies over the Khartoum battlefield in April 2023.
After expressing his support for the Sudanese people, President Biden said:
“Since the earliest moments of this conflict, the United States has facilitated the safe departure of thousands of people –Americans and others– by land, sea, and air and conducted intensive negotiations to de-escalate violence. Our diplomatic efforts to urge all parties to end the military conflict and allow unhindered humanitarian access continue, as do our efforts to assist those remaining Americans, including by providing them information on exit options. The United States is already responding to this unfolding humanitarian crisis and stands ready to support enhanced humanitarian assistance when conditions allow.
The United States stands with the people of Sudan—and we are acting to support their commitment to a future of peace and opportunity. Today, I issued a new Executive Order that expands U.S. authorities to respond to the violence that began on April 15 with sanctions that hold individuals responsible for threatening the peace, security, and stability of Sudan; undermining Sudan’s democratic transition; using violence against civilians; or committing serious human rights abuses.”
In a letter to Congressional leadership concerning his executive order, the President added:
“I find that the situation in Sudan, including the military’s seizure of power in October 2021 and the outbreak of inter-service fighting in April 2023, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
Friends and supporters,
This time of extreme crisis is making the work of our Sudanese partners more difficult. Basic program costs are rising due to the war and we are receiving requests to fund emergency needs that include evacuations, medical supplies, and more.
Our Sudanese partners don’t know when this will end, but their vision for a healthy Sudan remains resolute. And they once again need our help in a time of severe crisis.
A generous private donor is responding to these urgent needs by matching all donations to our Sudanese partners, up to $15,000 total. Give now to double your impact!
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
What Sanctions Mean & More
President Biden’s full executive order can be viewed here. In summary, the EO aims to impose sanctions on the following types of people:
Persons determined to have engaged or attempted to engage in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan
Persons engaged in actions or policies that undermine the formation or operation of a civilian transitional government, Sudan’s transition to democracy, or a future democratically elected government
Persons engaged in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in Sudan
Persons engaged in censorship or other actions or policies that limit the exercise of freedoms of expression, association, or peaceful assembly
Persons engaged in government corruption, serious human rights abuses, or the targeting of women, children, or any other civilians
Persons engaged in the obstruction of the activities of United Nations or attacks against United Nations missions in Sudan
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is now enforcing the Executive Order. We expect to see announcements of specific sanctions in the coming weeks, whether fighting between regime security forces ends or not. As in the past, we want to note that sanctions on their own will not end this crisis. While important, sanctions are only one component of the U.S. government’s broader diplomacy in and around Sudan right now.
Speaking at a US Senate hearing today, the US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said:
“The fighting in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is, we assess, likely to be protracted as both sides believe that they can win militarily and have few incentives to come to the negotiating table…Both sides are seeking external sources of support, which, if successful, is likely to intensify the conflict and create a greater potential for spillover challenges in the region.”
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 10 to discuss “options for an effective policy response.”
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