WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan (Burhan), the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under Executive Order (E.O.) 14098, “Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and Undermining the Goal of a Democratic Transition.” This action follows the designation of the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa (Hemedti), on January 7, 2025. In addition, OFAC is sanctioning one company and one individual involved in weapons procurement on behalf of the Defense Industries System (DIS), a procurement arm of the SAF that OFAC sanctioned in June 2023.
“Today’s action underscores our commitment to seeing an end to this conflict,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “The United States will continue to use our tools to disrupt the flow of weapons into Sudan and hold these leaders responsible for their blatant disregard of civilian lives.”
Burhan’s SAF has committed lethal attacks on civilians, including airstrikes against protected infrastructure including schools, markets, and hospitals. The SAF is also responsible for the routine and intentional denial of humanitarian access, using food deprivation as a war tactic. In December 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that members of the SAF had committed war crimes. The SAF’s egregious war tactics, alongside those of the RSF, are primarily responsible for one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, where famine has been declared in five regions of the country.
SAF leadership
Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan (Burhan) is the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). In October 2021, Burhan and RSF commander Hemedti co-led a military takeover that seized power from Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government. Since then, Burhan has opposed a return to civilian governance in Sudan and has refused to participate in international peace talks to end the fighting, choosing war over good-faith negotiation and de-escalation. Under Burhan’s leadership, the SAF’s war tactics have included indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets, and hospitals, and extrajudicial executions.
Burhan is being designated pursuant to E.O. 14098, for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the SAF, an entity that has, or whose members have, engaged in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan relating to the tenure of such leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors.
saf Weapons supplier
Ahmad Abdalla (Abdalla) is a Sudanese-Ukrainian national and an official of the Defense Industries System (DIS), the primary procurement arm of the SAF. Since OFAC’s June 2023 designation of DIS, the company has sought to procure weapons and equipment through unofficial means. To evade sanctions, DIS conducts procurement activities through ostensibly private companies working on its behalf. Abdalla is the Chief Operating Officer of Portex Trade Limited, a company that has transacted with entities involved in the sale of military equipment. Notably, Abdalla coordinated the acquisition of Iranian-made UAVs from an Azerbaijani defense company for shipment to Sudan.
Abdalla is being designated for being a foreign person who is owned or controlled by, or has acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Defense Industries System, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098.
Portex Trade Limited (Portex) is a Hong Kong-based company controlled by Abdalla. Portex is being designated for being a foreign person who is owned or controlled by, or has acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Abdalla, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098.
humanitarian Authorizations
In order to ensure that our sanctions do not impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, OFAC has issued broad general licenses (GLs) that authorize certain categories of transactions otherwise prohibited under E.O. 14098. This includes activities involving Burhan, the leader of the SAF; Hemedti, the leader of the RSF; and other persons blocked pursuant to E.O. 14098. In particular, 31 CFR § 546.512 of the Sudan Stabilization Sanctions Regulations (SSSR) authorizes certain humanitarian transactions that are in support of nongovernmental organizations, and 31 CFR § 546.513 of the SSSR authorizes certain transactions related to the provision of agriculture, medicine, and medical devices.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above 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. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt, U.S. sanctions generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.
Click here for more information on the individuals and entities designated today.
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