USA threatens Sudan’s conflicting parties with sanctions

USA threatens Sudan’s conflicting parties with sanctions

Even though a ceasefire has been declared in Sudan since Monday, fighting in the country continues. US Secretary of State Blinken threatened the military government and the RSF militia with sanctions if the conflicts do not stop.

Blinken threatens sanctions against conflicting parties in Sudan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has threatened the conflicting parties in Sudan with sanctions if they do not adhere to the agreed ceasefire. The responsible officials would be “held accountable through our sanctions and other means available to us,” he said.

Blinken calls Sudan’s ongoing conflict tragic and devastating

The ongoing conflicts in the East African country have been tragic, pointless and devastating, Blinken said in a video message released by the US embassy in Khartoum. He further explained that the ceasefire should enable humanitarian aid deliveries and serve to restore basic care. In this context, the US State Department announced that the United States will provide an additional $245 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan and neighboring countries.

$245 million in humanitarian aid to help Sudan

“With these funds, our humanitarian partners can respond to the new needs arising from the current conflict,” the announcement said. The money, which was pledged last week, will be used to support people who have had to flee Sudan or have been displaced within the country, according to the statement.

Committee to monitor ceasefire

A longstanding power struggle in the country erupted into violent clashes on April 15. The army, under the command of de facto president Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is fighting against the paramilitary RSF militia of his former deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo. The two generals jointly seized power in 2021 but later fell out.

Ceasefires in Sudan are repeatedly broken

Repeatedly-agreed ceasefires have proven to be fragile. Even after a new seven-day ceasefire came into effect on Monday through mediation by the US, residents reported renewed fighting. Gunshots and explosions were heard in Omdurman, and fighting was reported again around the military headquarters in the adjacent capital, Khartoum, according to AP reports. With the new ceasefire, the conflicting parties agreed for the first time on a committee to monitor compliance and report violations.

UN: 25 million people at risk

According to the UN, 700 people have already lost their lives in the civil war, and hundreds of thousands have fled the fighting. The United Nations World Food Program had suspended its work in the country due to the conflicts. There is a shortage of water, food, and other basic care items nationwide. According to the UN, 25 of Sudan’s 45 million people are in need of humanitarian aid due to the war.