Indian CEO Among Eight Sanctioned by US Over Sudan Civil War Involvement

The United States has imposed sanctions on eight individuals and entities, including an Indian national, for allegedly fuelling the civil war in Sudan. The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the measures on Friday, stating that the targeted networks supplied weapons, explosives, and fighters to both sides of the conflict.

Among those sanctioned is Alok Choudhari, the Chief Executive Officer of SBL Energy Limited, also known as Amin Explosive Private Limited, based in Raipur, India. According to the US Treasury, SBL Energy supplied over 200 shipments of explosives and related materials to a Sudanese company that maintains the arsenal of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

The Treasury also sanctioned SBL Energy, along with several other firms based in Sudan and Egypt. The sanctions target networks supporting both the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been locked in a civil war since April 2023. The conflict has created a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and thousands killed.

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the US State Department, said in a statement: 'These networks supply weapons, explosives, and foreign fighters to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Their support has prolonged a conflict that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis and provided space for terrorist groups to operate.'

The US Treasury alleged that the explosives from SBL Energy were used in bombs deployed by the SAF. Also sanctioned was Sudan-based Target Multiactivities Company (TMAC) and its general manager, Tariq Hussain Muhammad Madani. The Treasury further blacklisted the Defense Industries System (DIS), Sudan's largest defence enterprise, and its subsidiaries, including Giad Industrial Group, which were already sanctioned in 2023.

Additionally, OFAC designated Ports Engineering Company Ltd, a state-owned construction firm that allegedly imported military uniforms and footwear for Sudanese intelligence from a company in the United Arab Emirates, as well as ammunition belts and weapons cases from a Turkish firm since the conflict began.

The restrictions also targeted individuals linked to a network that recruits former Colombian military personnel to fight alongside the RSF. The network is led by retired Colombian officer Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra and his wife Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, who were previously sanctioned. Three individuals associated with Panama-based Talent Bridge, SA were also blacklisted for allegedly obscuring recruitment operations.

The civil war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 between the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has drawn in foreign actors and led to widespread atrocities. The US has previously imposed sanctions on both sides for human rights abuses and obstruction of peace efforts.