The United States has imposed sanctions on Ali Karti, a former Sudanese Foreign Minister, and two companies connected to Sudan’s paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Force (RSF).
The US Department of the Treasury enacted these sanctions, targeting all US property and entities owned by Ali Karti, GSK Advance Company Ltd, and the Russian military company Aviatrade LLC. Both companies stand accused of supporting the RSF in its conflict with the Sudanese army, providing supplies, training, and monitoring equipment.
Ali Karti served as Sudan’s foreign minister from 2010 to 2015 under former President Omar al-Bashir, who faced ousting in a popular uprising in April 2019.
According to the Treasury, Karti and other hard-line Sudanese Islamists are actively obstructing efforts to reach a ceasefire and opposing the attempts of Sudanese civilians to restore the country’s democratic transition.
The Rapid Support Force has accused the Sudanese army of harboring hard-line Islamists, an allegation that the military has consistently denied. In a separate statement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Karti led efforts to undermine the former civilian-led transitional government and derail the roadmap for transitioning to democracy after al-Bashir’s removal.
