The USA announced on Thursday that sanctions will be directed against Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for his responsibility for the brutal civil war in the country. The decision comes days after the USA directed similar sanctions against the leader of Sudan's paramilitary force Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The announcement came simultaneously as the outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held his final press conference at the State Department.
Blinken was asked what he looks back on with regret during his four years in office.
For me, one of the real setbacks is what has happened in Sudan, said Blinken, who has invested significant political effort in bringing about change in the country.
We have had some successes in getting aid through diplomacy, but we see no end to the conflict, no end to the abuses, no end to the people's suffering.
Estimates suggest that there are tens of thousands – likely over 60,000 – fatalities as a result of the fighting between Sudan's army and RSF.
After 20 months of civil war, it is estimated that over 30 million of the country's inhabitants are in need of acute assistance. Half of them are children.
