US Treasury Decision Wrong signals and a trap for the Trump Administration
Moneim Suleiman
On Tuesday, January 7th, the US Treasury Department announced the imposition of sanctions on Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti), Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), due to what it described as his role in “Destabilizing and undermining the democratic transition in Sudan,” hence, the US Administration has granted the Sudanese Islamic Movement and its military organization within the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) – the main parties responsible for undermining of the democratic transition and destabilizing Sudan; something akin to a “Clearance Certificate,” allowing them to move forward with their authoritarian project with the assistance of the Army Commander-in-Chief in order to transform Sudan once again into a model of a dictatorial State with a theocratic character.
Therefore, the Biden Administration’s decision was rather infelicitous, perhaps even wrong in all respects, as well as unbalanced; since the same grounds and arguments referenced in solidifying the decision to impose sanctions on the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (Hemedti) can also be applied to the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army (Al-Burhan).
The Sudanese people have long expected the US Treasury Department would impose similar sanctions on Army officers affiliated with the Islamic Movement -known by names and military ranks- who declare their ideological and political affiliations day and night. As they are the parties responsible for obstructing the democratic transition process and conjuring obstacles in the path of any attempts at achieving a peaceful negotiated solution that would end this devastating war.
Unless severe sanctions are imposed on the aforementioned Army officers, this war will not end, and as a result the Sudanese people will only experience a future paved with more casualties, violations, hunger and displacement.
The striking aspect in regards to the reasons provided for the imposed US Treasury Department’s sanctions on the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces is that they touch on the events in Darfur. However, everyone is familiar with the role played by the Military Intelligence and its involvement in those events before they developed into massacres.
The current situation in the city of El-Fasher, in terms of utilizing displaced civilians as bait and human shields inside displacement camps, is the work of the Military Intelligence in coordination with the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Arcua Minnawi. Even though, the Rapid Support Forces cannot be exempted completely from any attack targeting civilians and endangering their lives.
With the outbreak of the war on April 15th, 2023, the Military Intelligence split into two divisions: the first of which is led by Maj. Gen. Sibaer, who is besieged within the Military’s Command, and in mid-December the US Administration imposed sanctions on him. The second division is the one managing the ongoing war, operating from Karari military zone in Omdurman, and is led by the Islamist Maj. Gen. Hassan Al-Bilal, a division entirely affiliated with the Islamic Movement (the Islamic Military Organization).
This Islamic intelligence division is the one responsible for weaving conspiracies, plotting ethnic and tribal divisions, as well as committing numerous crimes and atrocities throughout the war. However, the democratic administration completely ignored it, despite being the most dangerous in terms of the future of Sudan, as it practices all the atrocities and conspiracies with the goal of restoring the Islamic Movement’s power. These plans won’t stop unless they manage to achieve that goal, even if it necessitates ridding themselves of Al-Burhan, who granted them free rein and cleared their path in assistance of their scheme to spread corruption and destruction.
If the Islamic Movement manages to successfully seize power this time, it will naturally be translated into a more extremist, tyrannical and oppressive turn.
The decision to impose sanctions on one party (the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces) sends the wrong massage to the other party represented by the Islamist officers within the Army (the Islamic Movement), and prompts them to feel as if the US Administration is satisfied with them, despite the crimes, atrocities and massacres they have committed, in addition to the horrific aerial bombardment of civilians -which continues to take place to this day- resulting in the killing of hundreds, if not thousands of innocent civilians so far.
Time has proven that President Biden’s Administration doesn’t consider these to be war crimes and atrocities that require deterrent punishment. Moreover, they (the elements of the Islamic Movement) won’t achieve a decisive victory over the Rapid Support Forces, even if the war continues for a hundred years, as they threaten, and the most they can achieve -to the best of their abilities- in the end would be to divide the country. Hence, can we understand the latest decision as President Biden’s Administration supporting the division of Sudan?
It is rather well-known at this point that Democratic administrations tend to side with political Islam Movements, considering that they mitigate the extremism and severity of violent jihadist Islam, creating a state of balance in this regard. This is what former President Barack Obama summarized in his famous statement, conveying that political Islam is the protector and savior from armed Islam.
The Biden Administration chose to follow a similar path as well, viewing the Muslim Brotherhood, or the (Islamic Movement) in Sudan, as moderate in comparison with the armed jihadist Movements such as Al-Qaeda, the Somali Al-Shabaab Mujahideen, and Boko Haram. However, this perception reflects a great deal of ignorance on the Democratic Party’s part in regards to the nature of terrorist jihadist Movements, of which the Muslim Brotherhood is the source and outlet as the mother terrorist Movement, as is known to all.
The surprising aspect in regards to the timing of the decision is that it came just two weeks before the Democratic Administration’s tern ended and was replaced by the Republican Administration. The decision seems like a “trap” set by the Biden Administration for the incoming Republican Administration, which is often more aware of the danger of Islamic Movements, their extremism, and terrorist tendencies.
Moreover, the recent decision to impose sanctions on one party to the ongoing war, and the messages it sends to the other party represented by the Islamic Movement and its Army leadership is one of approval by the US Administration, undermining the Sudanese people’s dreams of a free democratic State, and thrusting them backwards once again into the bosom of the military Islamist tyranny.
If any hope exists on the horizon, it comes with the arrival of the Republican Administration in America, which senses, more than its predecessor, the danger of political Islam. Hope is also pinned on the peaceful struggle of the Sudanese people and the free world, the international community, as well as supporters of the oppressed nations’ assistance. The Sudanese people have suffered for more than thirty years from the violence, corruption, and tyranny of the Islamic Movement, alongside its armed militias, and military organization within the Sudanese Army.