WASHINGTON, September 28. /TASS/. The US Treasury has added the Russian company Aviatrade to its sanctions list for Sudan. This is according to a statement on the US Treasury’s website.
A citizen of Sudan and the Sudanese company GSK Advance also fell under restrictions.
"As of late 2020, GSK worked with Aviatrade LLC, a Russia-based military supply company, to arrange the procurement of parts and supplies, as well as training, for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) previously purchased by the RSF (Rapid Support Forces - TASS)," the US Treasury says.
Inclusion on the sanctions list means freezing assets in the United States and prohibiting American citizens and companies from doing business with those involved.
According to the US Treasury, the sanctioned companies and the individual are allegedly played "their role in undermining the peace, security, and stability of Sudan."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a separate statement said Washington had taken steps this week to impose visa restrictions on people believed to be part of efforts to undermine Sudan’s democratic transition, Reuters reported.
The situation in Sudan escalated amid disagreements between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the ruling Sovereignty Council, and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), who is al-Burhan’s deputy on the council. The main points of contention between the two military organizations pertain to the timeline and methods for unifying the armed forces of Sudan, as well as who should be appointed as commander-in-chief of the army: a career military officer, which is al-Burhan’s preferred option, or an elected civilian president, as Dagalo insists.
On April 15, armed clashes between the rival military factions erupted near a military base in Merowe and in the capital, Khartoum. At least 866 civilians have been killed since the fighting began, according to Sudan's doctors' union.