-
US Sanctions Target Sudanese Official for Cooperation with Iran.. Over Drone Deals
-
US sanctions on the director of Sudanese Military Industries indicate Washington's attempt to curb military cooperation with Tehran and Moscow
US sanctions targeted the head of military industries in the Sudanese army, Mirghani Idris Suleiman, today Thursday, as the Sudanese conflict surpasses eighteen months.
The US State Department highlighted that "Idris led the purchase of drones from Iran and Russia for the Sudanese army, causing the expansion of the war in Sudan," emphasizing that "the Sudanese army prioritized purchasing drones over peace."
Suleiman holds the position of head of the Internal Security Agency, which is listed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control list, where he is responsible for purchasing and manufacturing weapons for the Sudanese Armed Forces, according to the US Treasury website.
Suleiman progressed through military ranks since graduating with Sudanese Armed Forces Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in the thirty-first batch, where he served in intelligence before taking command of the Internal Security Agency.
Suleiman assumed the position of director of military procurement, heading numerous official delegations to negotiate with potential suppliers.
The sanctions coincided with the outbreak of violent confrontations between the army and Rapid Support Forces in the city of Al-Fashir in North Darfur, where eyewitnesses told Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath they heard sounds of heavy and light weapons in multiple axes of the city, following a relative calm that lasted for more than a month.
The Abu Shouk camp emergency room in Al-Fashir announced that the camp was subjected to artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces, resulting in civilian casualties.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces for nearly 18 months has depleted the country's resources, causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and forcing more than 10 million people to flee, while UN organizations struggle to provide humanitarian assistance.
Levant-Agencies
