The European Council had on Monday, adopted sanctions against six entities involved in the Sudan war where the regular army, –SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, –RSF, have been at war since last April.
The Council, through a statement had said that the six bodies were responsible for “bolstering activities to sabotage the stability and political transition of Sudan”.
Among those enumerated were two companies involved in the production of weapons and vehicles for the SAF (Defense Industries System and SMT Engineering); the SAF-controlled Zadna International Company for Investment Limited and three companies involved in procuring military equipment for the RSF (Al Junaid Multi Activities Co Ltd, Tradive General Trading and GSK Advance Company Ltd).
The Council had declared:
“The entities listed are subject to their asset being frozen. The provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit is banned.”
The EU is reflecting the steps taken by the U.S. which in June forced sanctions against those causing chaos and violence in Sudan – and the UK which last year penalised businesses associated to Sudanese military groups.
In November 2023, the European Union criticised an escalation of violence in Sudan’s Darfur region, warning of the danger of another genocide after conflict there occurred between 2003-08, killing some 300,000 people and unsettling over 2 million people.
The bloodshed has continued escalating regardless of international efforts to create a lasting ceasefire.
About 7.5 million people have been displaced from their homes due to the war. This has created a humanitarian crisis.
