US: Sudanese nationals sue French Bank for financing war in Sudan via Iranian fronts

 Sudanese from Darfur and South Sudan have filed a lawsuit in the United States against one of the largest French banks, accusing it of facilitating financing for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) through Iranian fronts in the (1990s).

According to the lawsuit, funds funneled through the bank helped finance Sudanese military operations during the war in South Sudan, as well as other conflicts in which grave violations against civilians were committed.

Previously, the French bank had admitted that, (between 2004 and 2012), it facilitated financial transfers amounting to ($8.8 billion) for entities subject to international sanctions, prompting US authorities to impose a historic fine of ($8.9 billion).

Lawyers representing the Sudanese refugees asserted that the bank “was not just a financial intermediary,” but played a direct role in enabling the Sudanese regime to obtain resources used to fuel the war and finance its repression, which led to the killing and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Sudanese citizens. 

This case is the latest chapter in the efforts put forth by victims of Sudan’s civil wars to prosecute international institutions involved in financing military regimes accused of committing crimes against humanity, amidst growing calls to hold accountable banks and companies that have turned a blind eye to international sanctions and benefited from dealing with isolated regimes.