Washington Imposes Sanctions on UAE Companies Supporting Civil War in Sudan
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on UAE companies supporting the civil war in Sudan by supplying weapons and military equipment to the Rapid Support Forces militias.
The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti), leader of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, under Executive Order 14098, which sanctions individuals undermining Sudan’s stability and hindering the democratic transition.
The department noted that for nearly two years, the Rapid Support Forces, led by Hemeti, have been engaged in a brutal armed conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces to control Sudan, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands, displacement of 12 million Sudanese, and widespread famine.
Additionally, OFAC imposed sanctions on seven companies and one individual connected to the Rapid Support Forces. The ability of the Rapid Support Forces to access military equipment and generate financing continues to fuel the conflict in Sudan.
According to Washington, Capital Tab Holding, based in the UAE, provided funds and weapons to the Rapid Support Forces.
Capital Tab Holding operates 50 companies in ten countries and has provided funds and military equipment to the Rapid Support Forces.
The sanctions also affected Abu Dhar Abdel Nabi Habib Allah Ahmed (Abu Dhar), a Sudanese owner and manager of Capital Tab Holding, who also owns or manages other companies sanctioned today.
The sanctions included Creative Python Ltd., an Emirati company owned and managed by Abu Dhar, acting as an intermediary to conceal Hemeti’s business transactions to avoid sanctions.
The managing director of Creative Python was responsible for financial transactions on behalf of Algoni Hamdan Dagalo Musa (Algoni), procurement manager for the Rapid Support Forces and brother of Hemeti. OFAC imposed sanctions on Algoni on October 8, 2024, under Executive Order 14098.
Sanctions were also placed on Emerald and Ruby Gold and Jewelry (AZ Gold), a UAE-based gold-buying company managed by Abu Dhar.
AZ Gold purchased gold from Sudan, likely for the Rapid Support Forces, and transported it to Dubai. Algoni had access to AZ Gold’s bank account in the UAE, which contained millions of dollars.
The sanctions also included Next Generation General Trading (Next Generation), a UAE-based company owned and managed by Abu Dhar, with long-standing relations with the Rapid Support Forces.
Additionally, Next Generation was a shareholder in Gulf Ltd. (Gulf), a financial entity controlled by the Rapid Support Forces and essential to their funding operations.
