By John Ikani
The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Sudan’s Central Reserve Police, accusing it of using excessive force against peaceful protesters demonstrating against last October’s military coup.
The CRP, a division of the wider police force, which the protesters also call Abu Tira, is one of the security forces that used excessive force against the anti-coup protesters after the coup of October 25, 2021.
The US Treasury Department in a statement said the CRP has been at the forefront of the “violent response” of Sudanese security forces to peaceful protests in Khartoum.
More than 80 people were killed in protests in the capital Khartoum alone, and over 3,000 were injured in the five months of protests.
The sanctions include an assets freeze although it is not clear if the force has any assets in the US.
The sanction also prohibits all transactions by US persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of CRP.
This is the first time that the US sanctions a Sudanese entity after the collapse of the isolated al-Bashir regime.
The US administration did not inflict similar sanctions against the Rapid Support Forces that accused of grave human rights violations, crime against humanity and war crimes.
Recently, they stopped taking part in the anti-protest forces deployed in the capital.
In addition, the decision avoids imposing targeted sanctions against the Sudanese military leaders who imposed the state of emergency and ensured immunity for the use of excessive force.
