WASHINGTON, USA
The United States of America has imposed sanctions on Sudan's Central Reserve Police (CRP) force for human rights abuses.
The Treasury Department on
Monday accused the CRP of being "at the forefront" of the crackdown
on protests against military rule in the northeast African nation.
"Since the October 25
military takeover, Sudan's Central Reserve Police has used excessive force and
violence intended to silence civilian activists and protesters," Treasury
undersecretary Brian Nelson said in a statement.
"We condemn Sudan's
security services for killing, harassing, and intimidating Sudanese
citizens," Nelson said. "These actions are exacerbating the crisis in
Sudan."
Under the sanctions, any CRP
assets in the US will be frozen.
Regular protests calling for
civilian rule have taken place since a military coup led by army chief Abdel
Fattah al-Burhan on October 25, with heavy-handed crackdowns leaving 87 dead,
according to medics.
The October coup derailed a
fragile power-sharing agreement between the army and civilians that had been
painstakingly negotiated after the 2019 ouster of longtime autocrat Omar
al-Bashir.
The sanctions came as
Sudanese security forces shot and killed a teenager during a crackdown on
rallies against last year's military coup, medics said.
"Babiker al-Rashid, 17,
was killed in Omdurman after he was hit at a close range by a live bullet to
the chest by coup authorities," said the Central Committee of Sudan
Doctors in a statement.
His death brings to 89 the
number of people killed in the crackdown on anti-coup protests to 89, the
committee said.
Monday's protests were staged
mainly in the capital Khartoum, its neighbouring cities of Omdurman and North
Khartoum.
Security forces fired tear gas
to quell the protests, according to witnesses.
Sudanese teachers and doctors
have recently staged strikes against security forces to protest violence and
the worsening living conditions.
Last year's military power
grab has drawn wide international condemnation and cuts of crucial aid, which deepened
the economic crisis in Sudan where prices of bread, fuel, and electricity have
skyrocketed.
On Monday, Burhan headed to
Saudi Arabia for talks following a similar trip to the United Arab Emirates
where he discussed the ailing economy.
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