The United States government has imposed sanctions on two Sudanese actors in connection with the ongoing conflict in Sudan involving several warring parties.
In a statement dated Friday, September 12, 2025, the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs announced sanctions against two Sudanese Islamist actors, namely Gebreil Ibrahim Mohamed Fediel and the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade (BBMB).
According to the Bureau, these sanctions are aimed at curbing Islamist and Iranian influence in Sudan, which Washington says has fueled regional destabilization, conflict, and civilian suffering.
“Today, the United States is imposing sanctions on two Sudanese Islamist actors – Gebreil Ibrahim Mohamed Fediel and the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade. These sanctions seek to limit Islamist and Iranian influence in Sudan, which have contributed to regional destabilization, conflict, and civilian suffering,” the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs stated.
US Imposes Sanctions on Sudanese Islamic Actors
The sanctions were imposed by the Trump administration through the Department of the Treasury pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14098, titled “Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and Undermining the Goal of a Democratic Transition”, for their roles in Sudan’s brutal war.
The US government stated that the Department of the Treasury’s actions were taken under E.O. 14098, which authorizes the imposition of sanctions on individuals who are responsible for, complicit in, or have directly or indirectly engaged in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan.
The order also covers individuals who are leaders, officials, senior executive officers, or board members of entities whose members have engaged in such destabilizing actions.
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Trump’s administration stressed that these sanctions hold malign actors accountable for enabling instability and destruction in Sudan with support from Iran.
The US has specifically targeted Gebreil Ibrahim Mohamed Fediel, Sudan’s Finance Minister and chairman of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade (BBMB) due to their roles in exacerbating the ongoing Sudanese conflict and undermining regional stability.
Gebreil Ibrahim leads JEM, a Darfur-based Islamist armed group with historical ties to Sudan’s Islamist revolution. Under his leadership, JEM has mobilized thousands of fighters to support the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), contributing to civilian deaths, mass displacement, and widespread destruction.
Why Sanctions Have Been Placed on Sudan’s Islamic Actors
He has also been accused of strengthening political and economic ties with Iran, which the US views as a strategy to expand Iranian influence in Africa through armed proxies.
Additionally, Gebreil’s actions as Finance Minister are seen as obstructing Sudan’s democratic transition and deepening ethnic and sectarian divisions, particularly in Darfur.
The BBMB, also known as the Al-Bara’ ibn Malik Battalion, is a Sudanese Islamist militia aligned with the SAF. With around 20,000 fighters, it has played a key role in SAF operations, including recapturing areas from the RSF in Khartoum and Gezira state.
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However, it has been accused of committing war crimes, including targeting civilians, summary executions, and abuses against suspected RSF collaborators.
BBMB maintains links to Sudan’s former Bashir regime, Islamist networks, and Iran, which provides weaponry and support that prolongs the conflict. Its involvement in the war has significantly destabilized Sudan and obstructed the country’s path toward democracy.
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