Khartoum , July 19(Darfur 24)
The Sudan Shield Forces announced on Saturday their rejection of the EU sanctions imposed on their commander, Abu Aqla Kikil.
The forces’ spokesman, Colonel Youssef Hasab El-Daim, said in a statement obtained by Darfur 24 that the decision to impose sanctions “failed to provide any credible evidence to substantiate the allegations against Kikil.”
He explained that the Sudan Shield Forces’ operations to secure civilians and combat the armed insurgency stem from constitutional duties guaranteed by the transitional constitution and international legitimacy conventions.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Kikil on Friday for his responsibility for the attack on Al-Kanabi.
The army and its allied forces, including the Sudan Shield Forces, committed violations against the residents of Al-Kanabi, a community near agricultural projects, most of whose inhabitants are African tribes.
Kikil joined the Rapid Support Forces, where he led the forces that took control of Al-Jazirah State in December 2023, before defecting to the army and participating in the recapture of the state in early 2025.
The European Union announced sanctions against the Rapid Support Forces’ military field commander, Hussein Barsham, who played a leading role in operations that resulted in mass atrocities, including These include targeted killings, ethnic violence, forced displacement, and violence against civilians, particularly in Darfur and other regions.
The sanctions included the Red Rock Mining Company, which it said was involved in facilitating the production of weapons and vehicles for the military.
The European Union explained that the mining sector is particularly important in fueling conflict in Sudan, as mining areas are often linked to war zones and represent strategically important locations that parties to the conflict must control, increasing competition and tensions.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Gulf Bank, which owns companies linked to members of the family of Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), and plays a key role in financing the operations of the Rapid Support Forces.
The sanctions include an asset freeze and a ban on providing funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit, in addition to a travel ban to the EU for Kikil and Barshim.