US imposes sanctions on Sudan’s Reserve Police for suppressing protests

Security forces clash with protesters during a protest demanding the Sovereignty Council, which is under military rule, be dissolved and the administration should be handed over to the civilians as soon as possible in Khartoum, Sudan on February 14, 2022 [Mahmoud Hjaj / Anadolu Agency]

The US imposed sanctions yesterday on Sudan’s Central Reserve Police Force, accusing it of being “excessive” in its response to peaceful protesters after last October’s military coup, Reuters has reported. According to the US Treasury, the Central Reserve Police Force has been at the forefront of the “violent response” of Sudanese security forces to peaceful protests in Khartoum.

Singling out a single day in January, the Treasury accused officers of firing live ammunition and, along with anti-riot and regular police, chasing protesters trying to flee, arresting and beating some, and fatally shooting two and injuring others.

“Since the 25 October military takeover,” said Brian Nelson, the Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, “Sudan’s Central Reserve Police has used excessive force and violence intended to silence civilian activists and protesters. We condemn Sudan’s security services for killing, harassing and intimidating Sudanese citizens.”

Reuters said that a police spokesman could not be reached for comment. However, military leaders in Sudan have said that peaceful protests are allowed and that protest casualties will be investigated.

READ: Thousands protest soaring prices in Sudan

Over the past few months, Sudan has witnessed protests organised by the resistance committees opposing military rule. The US, the UN and several individual countries have criticised the crackdown, which has seen at least 88 people killed since October.

Western countries and international financial institutions have suspended billions of US dollars in aid since the military coup, while army leaders have yet to appoint a prime minister to tackle the economic crisis hitting Sudan. The Sudanese military insists that the coup was a necessary corrective step after an internal political struggle.

Senior officers have vowed to hand over power to a government that enjoys a popular consensus or is duly elected. The protesters, though, demand that the army must leave the political scene immediately.

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