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US targets Sudan weapons procurement director with sanctions

by Reuters

   Washington --

   The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against Mirghani Idris
   Suleiman, a leading figure in the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) efforts
   to get weapons for the war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the
   Treasury Department said in a statement.

   As director of Defense Industries Systems (DIS), the Sudanese army's
   primary weapons procurement arm, "Idris has been at the center of
   weapons deals that have fueled the brutality and scale of the war," the
   statement said.

   "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.

   DIS was sanctioned last year by Treasury.

   Sudan's army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

   The RSF has seized control of large parts of Sudan in a conflict with
   the army that the United Nations says has caused one of the world's
   worst humanitarian crises.

   The war has displaced more than 10 million people, driven parts of the
   country to extreme hunger or famine, and drawn in foreign powers that
   have given both sides material support.

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