October 25, Nairobi — The U.S. Treasury Department announced it is sanctioning Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) senior leader Mirghani Idris Suleiman on Thursday for leading the SAF’s efforts to acquire weapons to use in its ongoing war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
As Director General of Defense Industries System (DIS), the SAF’s primary weapons production and procurement arm, “he has been at the center of weapons deals that have fueled the brutality and scale of the war,” the press release said. Since the beginning of the war, they said, SAF has prioritized weapons acquisition, including Iranian drones and weapons deals with Russia.
Following the sanctions declaration, all property and interests related to Suleiman in the U.S. are blocked.
“Today’s action underscores the essential role that key individuals like Mirghani Idris Suleiman have played in procuring weapons, perpetuating violence, and prolonging the fighting in Sudan,” said Bradley Smith, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in the statement on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the Treasury Department sanctioned Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, a senior leader of the RSF. He allegedly acts as the militia’s director of procurement and was sanctioned for arming the RSF while also directly contributing to the siege of El Fasher in North Darfur, where intense fighting continues.