Sudan: Australia Sanctions El Burhan and Hemedti Over Sudan War and Human Rights Abuses

What the report says

Australia has imposed targeted sanctions and travel bans on four Sudanese figures as part of its response to the war in Sudan, according to Dabanga via AllAfrica. The measures include Sudanese Armed Forces commander and Transitional Sovereignty Council president Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, and Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the decision was announced by the foreign ministry on Thursday in Canberra.

The sanctions also cover Al-Tijani Al-Tahir Karshoum, described as the RSF-aligned de facto governor of West Darfur, and RSF field commander Hussein Barsham. In addition, Australia said it had imposed financial sanctions on the El Bara Bin Malik Brigade. Under the new restrictions, dealing with the assets of the listed individuals or the brigade without authorisation would be a criminal offence, and the four people named are barred from entering or remaining in Australia.

Wong said the move was tied to allegations of serious abuses by both sides in the conflict, including attacks on civilians, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and extrajudicial killings. The announcement builds on earlier Australian sanctions linked to the UN Security Council framework. Australia also said it has provided humanitarian aid to Sudan and issued a permit intended to allow certain relief activities to continue despite the sanctions. The war, which began in April 2023, has created a major humanitarian crisis with mass displacement and widespread need for assistance.