President Biden's new executive order could result in new US sanctions to Sudan. Why now?

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden^[1] is taking steps to punish those involved in the recent violence in Sudan^[2] that has killed hundreds of people and thrown the African nation into chaos.

Biden signed an executive order on Thursday that allows the U.S. government to sanction those involved in the violence.

Biden said in a statement his order will “hold individuals responsible for threatening the peace, security, and stability of Sudan; undermining Sudan’s democratic transition; using violence against civilians; or committing serious human rights abuses.”

The violence in Sudan is “a tragedy — and it is a betrayal of the Sudanese people’s clear demand for civilian government and a transition to democracy,” Biden said.

What's happening in Sudan?

Sudan’s fighting broke out April 15 between two commanders who just 18 months earlier jointly orchestrated a military coup to derail the nation’s transition to democracy.

The power struggle between the armed forces chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has millions of Sudanese cowering inside their homes and has already displaced hundreds of thousands.

Will the U.S. issue sanctions?

Not necessarily.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that while Biden's order will give the administration the authority to issue sanctions, no decision has been made on whether to punish the warring generals.

The order will provide the Treasury Department and other agencies with the authority "to take a look and see if anything like that is appropriate," Kirby said, but "we haven't issued any sanctions."

Kirby said the executive order shouldn't be viewed as a warning. The administration and the Sudanese people want the generals to “put down their arms, stop fighting, get back to the table to to work on a transition to civilian authority," he said.

More: Embassies evacuate as fighting in Sudan continues^[3]

What is happening in Sudan? The fierce conflict explained.^[4]

The conflict has killed at least 550 people, including civilians, and wounded more than 4,900. At least 334,000 people have been displaced inside Sudan and tens of thousands more to neighboring countries Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia, according to U.N. agencies.

How many have been killed in the fighting?

Several countries have been racing to evacuate^[5] their citizens from the troubled nation though millions remain there amid a fragile ceasefire.

The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the country’s people are “facing a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Thousands of U.N. workers were evacuated a week into the fighting, and some U.N. agencies paused their services^[6]. The World Food Program suspended operations after three of its workers were killed in fighting in southern Sudan, but the agency has since said it will resume its work.

Several countries have been racing to evacuate^[7] their citizens from the troubled nation though millions remain there amid a fragile ceasefire.

The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the country’s people are “facing a humanitarian catastrophe.”

The conflict has killed at least 550 people, including civilians, and wounded more than 4,900. At least 334,000 people have been displaced inside Sudan and tens of thousands more to neighboring countries Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia, according to U.N. agencies.

Thousands of U.N. workers were evacuated a week into the fighting, and some U.N. agencies paused their services^[8]. The World Food Program suspended operations after three of its workers were killed in fighting in southern Sudan, but the agency has since said it will resume its work.

The fighting has included unprecedented urban warfare in the capital, Khartoum.

Contributing: Associated Press

Sudanese evacuee, Mohammed Abdel Rahman, 78, is helped by US naval doctors as he disembarks from the USNS Brunswick at Jeddah port, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, May 4, 2023. After more than two weeks of fighting, areas of the capital of Khartoum appear increasingly abandoned. The Sudan fighting, which broke out after months of escalating tension between the countryÕs military and a rival paramilitary group, has so far killed 550 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sudan crisis: Biden considers sanctions against warring generals^[9]

References

1. ^{^} President Joe Biden (apnews.com)
2. ^{^} recent violence in Sudan (apnews.com)
3. ^{^} Embassies evacuate as fighting in Sudan continues (www.usatoday.com)
4. ^{^} The fierce conflict explained. (www.usatoday.com)
5. ^{^} racing to evacuate (apnews.com)
6. ^{^} paused their services (apnews.com)
7. ^{^} racing to evacuate (apnews.com)
8. ^{^} paused their services (apnews.com)
9. ^{^} Sudan crisis: Biden considers sanctions against warring generals (www.usatoday.com)