Senior Sudan officials latest hit by EU sanctions

The European Union (EU) announced today it is sanctioning four senior officials from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), citing their involvement in acts threatening peace, stability, and efforts to restore Sudan’s political transition.

The EU Council announced today that it approved “additional restrictive measures” against four Sudanese officials “in view of the gravity of the situation in Sudan”.

The sanctioned are: former Military Intelligence chief Salah Gosh, RSF operations chief Osman ‘Operations’ Hamid, West Darfur governor Tijani Karshoum, and SAF military intelligence director Mohamed Ali.

This is the latest in a series of sanctions imposed by the EU on individuals and entities believed to fuel the ongoing war in Sudan.

On January 22, the EU imposed sanctions on six entities linked to the SAF and RSF, including companies involved in manufacturing weapons and vehicles or procuring military equipment. On June 24, additional sanctions targeted six people, including senior SAF and RSF officials and figures tied to the Al Bashir regime.

Why were they targeted?

According to the press release, the four targeted individuals each played a pivotal role in actions undermining Sudan’s transition to civilian rule and enabling widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

‘Mastermind’ Salah Gosh

The EU statement described Salah Gosh, the former national security advisor of Sudan and former Military Intelligence chief, as a key figure in multiple coups, including the joint coup d’état by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in October 2021.

Gosh was accused of assisting members of the former Al Bashir regime to return to power, undermining efforts to establish a civilian government, and perpetuating instability in Sudan.

The annex to the decision described Gosh as the “mastermind” behind many SAF and intelligence operations that contributed to the country’s ongoing crisis. It noted his “ideological ties” to the former ruling National Congress Party and the Al Bashir regime, itself described “a strong driver of the narrative that fuels the war against the [RSF]”.

It further notes that even after the fall of Omar Al Bashir in 2019, Gosh reportedly remained active in efforts to destabilise Sudan, orchestrating actions that violated human rights and thwarted peace initiatives.

Gosh was declared persona non grata by the US Secretary of State in August 2019, four months after Al Bashir was deposed by a military coup.

Tijani Karshoum

Tijani Karshoum, the current governor of West Darfur, was sanctioned for his alleged involvement in atrocities committed during the El Geneina massacre of June 2023, which Human Rights Watch has labelled as possibly amounting to genocide.

As deputy governor of West Darfur at the time, Karshoum is accused of ordering RSF forces to prevent civilians from fleeing the city and directing attacks on camps for displaced persons. The governor at the time, Khamis Abakar, was kidnapped by armed assailants and brutally murdered on June 16, 2023.

The EU also held Karshoum responsible for leading RSF strikes on Abakar’s office in May 2023, a month before his assassination.

According to the annex Karshoum reportedly set up committees after El Geneina massacre to bury bodies in mass graves and conceal evidence of subsequent attacks, including the November 2023 Ardamata massacre.

The decision accused Karshom of involvement in planning and executing acts of murder, rape, abduction, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law. His actions, it stated, have significantly contributed to the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in West Darfur.

Osman ‘Operations’ Hamid

Maj Gen Osman ‘Operations’ Hamid, RSF chief of operations, was sanctioned for his role in directing RSF military campaigns since the outbreak of war with the SAF in mid-April 2023. The EU cited his battlefield presence in Jebel Aulia in November 2023 as evidence of his leadership.

Hamid was accused of holding “a command responsibility” for RSF operations “based on intersecting ethnicity and gender grounds, killings, torture, widespread sexual and gender-based violence, rape, sexual slavery, abduction, the recruitment and use of children in hostilities, and the obstruction of access to humanitarian aid for civilians in need”.

The statement determines that Hamid’s actions threaten peace and security in Sudan and represent serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Hamid was sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury in May, for playing an important role in operational planning within the RSF.

Mohamed Ali

Lt Gen Mohamed Ali, director of Military Intelligence for the SAF, was sanctioned for directing operations that led to the harassment and detention of human rights defenders, anti-war activists, and community volunteers.

The statement highlighted his role in cases of sexual violence attributed to Military Intelligence and acts of torture and ill-treatment. Sabir also allegedly imposed significant restrictions on humanitarian aid, exacerbating the plight of civilians in conflict zones.

The EU accused Ali of leading actions that undermine Sudan’s political transition and of being directly responsible for grave human rights violations and breaches of international law.