U.S. Sanctions target war supply networks fueling Sudan conflict

By Ismail Bategeka

International: The United States has imposed new sanctions on eight individuals and entities accused of sustaining the war in Sudan through weapons procurement and foreign recruitment networks, in an effort to weaken financial and logistical pipelines that continue to feed one of the world’s most devastating conflicts.

The action, announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), targets companies and individuals linked to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (Sudanese Armed Forces) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (Rapid Support Forces), who have been locked in a brutal civil war since April 2023.

According to the sanction list issued today by the U.S government, the targeted networks have helped both sides expand their military capacity, prolonging a conflict that has killed thousands, displaced millions, and worsened a humanitarian crisis across Sudan and neighbouring regions.

“The Trump Administration is committed to advancing a lasting peace in Sudan and bringing an end to the conflict,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an online interview.

Scott Bessent added that “The networks profiting from the conflict in Sudan jeopardize the prospects for the humanitarian truce that the Sudanese people desperately need.”

The sanctions, issued under Executive Order 14098, are aimed at dismantling procurement chains that supply arms, explosives, uniforms, and logistics support to armed groups in Sudan. The order specifically targets actors accused of undermining efforts toward a democratic transition in the country.

U.S. officials say the war has increasingly become sustained not only by internal rival factions but also by foreign commercial networks that profit from the conflict.

According to Treasury findings, Sudan’s Defense Industries System (DIS), the country’s largest state-linked military conglomerate, plays a central role in maintaining the SAF’s weapons systems. DIS, already sanctioned in 2023, operates through subsidiaries such as Giad Industrial Group, which generates billions of dollars through opaque business structures.

A senior U.S. official said the goal is to cut off “the hidden commercial arteries that keep the war machine running,” adding that sanctions will remain in place “until those networks are dismantled or isolated.”

One of the newly sanctioned entities, Target Multiactivities Company Ltd. (TMAC), is accused of importing explosives into Sudan that are later used in SAF military operations. The company is controlled through DIS-linked structures.

Investigators say TMAC has sourced explosives from India-based SBL Energy Limited, which is led by chief executive Alok Choudhari. The company is alleged to have shipped more than 200 consignments of explosive materials since 2024.

“These materials do not stay in warehouses. They end up in bombs and artillery used in populated areas,” a Treasury investigation summary noted.

Another sanctioned entity, Ports Engineering Company Ltd., is accused of importing military-related goods, including uniforms and ammunition containers, from foreign suppliers in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

Officials say such imports demonstrate how civilian-looking companies are being used as cover for military logistics in Sudan’s war economy.

The conflict between SAF and RSF has devastated Sudan’s infrastructure, collapsing health systems, displacing families, and triggering famine-like conditions in some regions. Humanitarian agencies warn that continued external support direct or indirect has made the war longer and more lethal.

The U.S. government is now calling for an immediate three-month humanitarian truce to allow aid delivery and civilian protection.

“The United States calls on the SAF and RSF to accept and implement an immediate, unconditional three-month humanitarian truce,” The Treasury statement said.

Beyond weapons procurement, the sanctions also highlight a growing international recruitment system involving former soldiers from Latin America. U.S. authorities previously sanctioned a network led by retired Colombian military officer Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra and his wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight alongside RSF forces.

The network allegedly operated through companies registered in Colombia and Panama, including International Services Agency (A4SI), Fénix Human Resources S.A.S., and Talent Bridge S.A. Investigators reports indicate the structure was deliberately complex, designed to conceal links between recruiters and fighters deployed to Sudan.

Panamanian and Colombian nationals linked to Talent Bridge held senior roles in the company, which U.S. officials say functioned as a staffing pipeline for foreign combatants.

Under the new measures, all assets belonging to the sanctioned individuals and companies within U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen. U.S. persons and companies are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

Financial institutions that fail to comply risk penalties, including civil and criminal enforcement actions. OFAC also warned that third-party actors, even outside the United States, could face secondary sanctions if they continue doing business with the designated entities.

A Treasury spokesperson said the sanctions are part of a broader effort to isolate war profiteers and cut off financial lifelines to armed groups.

Despite repeated diplomatic efforts, the war between SAF and RSF has continued with shifting frontlines and mounting civilian casualties. International observers say external financing and arms flows have made it harder to reach a lasting settlement. The United States says it remains committed to supporting peace negotiations, but insists that pressure on suppliers and facilitators is essential.

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