In a bid to pressure warring factions in Sudan, the European Union today imposed sanctions on six firms accused of arming and financing the brutal conflict engulfing the nation.
This marks the latest escalation in international efforts to stem the bloodshed, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions since erupting in mid-April.
The conflict pits Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy, commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
A conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project puts the death toll at over 13,000, while the United Nations reports over seven million displaced people.
The EU sanctions target three firms controlled by the Sudanese armed forces, including the Defense Industries System conglomerate, estimated to have generated $2 billion in revenue in 2020.
Additionally, three firms controlled by Daglo and his brothers have been blacklisted, facing asset freezes and visa bans within EU member states.
“The EU remains deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sudan and reaffirms its steadfast support for, and solidarity with, the Sudanese people,” the 27-nation bloc declared in a statement.
This move follows previous international attempts to quell the conflict through diplomacy.
However, these efforts have so far proven unsuccessful, leaving the Sudanese people grappling with a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The EU sanctions aim to exert pressure on the warring factions by disrupting their access to resources and international finances, ultimately encouraging them to seek a peaceful resolution.