Sudan has strongly condemned the European Union’s decision to impose sanctions on two army generals, calling the move “flawed and defective.”
The EU announced on Monday that it had added four Sudanese individuals to its sanctions list for actions deemed to threaten the country’s peace and stability. Among those sanctioned are Gen. Mohamed Ali Ahmed Sabir, director of military intelligence, and Salah Abdallah, former chief of the National Intelligence and Security Service. The other two individuals are commanders from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a statement issued Wednesday, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry labeled the sanctions “baseless” and criticized the EU’s handling of the ongoing conflict, which has pitted the Sudanese army against the RSF since April 2023. The ministry urged the EU to reverse its decision and adopt a “positive stance” to support Sudan in combating “aggression and terrorism.”
The conflict has caused widespread devastation, with over 20,000 deaths and more than 14 million people displaced, according to UN and local estimates. Fighting continues to destabilize the nation, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
The EU sanctions aim to hold individuals accountable for actions undermining Sudan’s stability, but the Sudanese government argues that the move will do little to address the root causes of the conflict.