US to impose sanctions on Sudanese army chief Burhan

Nairobi: Sudanese leader and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan will be hit with sanctions by the United States on Thursday, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Two sources said the sanctions, coming soon after sanctions were imposed on Burhan's rival in a nearly two-year war earlier this month, were intended to show that they were targeting both sides in the conflict and were pushing for a transition back to civilian-led rule.

The Sudanese army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spokespeople for the US State and Treasury departments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) together led a coup in 2021 removing Sudan's civilian leadership, but fell out less than two years later over plans to integrate their forces.

The war that broke out in April 2023 has killed tens of thousands of people, driven millions from their homes and plunged half of the population into hunger.

According to one of the sources, a diplomat, the specific reasons for the sanctions included the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure and denial of humanitarian aid access, as well as refusal to participate in peace talks last year.