Who is Karti, the “Peace Saboteur” in Sudan?
Ali Karti, the Sudanese Foreign Minister in the al-Bashir regime and the Secretary of the Sudanese Islamic Movement, has been added to the U.S. sanctions list after the U.S. Treasury and State Departments declared Karti as one of the reasons hindering the resolution of the ongoing conflict in the country.
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The statement from the Treasury Department mentioned that Karti was placed on the sanctions list for being “responsible for, complicit in, or directly or indirectly engaged in activities or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability in Sudan.”
Washington and other Western parties have previously imposed sanctions on individuals and companies related to the conflict that resulted in the death of at least 7,500 people and displaced over five million to other regions within Sudan or neighboring countries.
Who is Karti?
Ali Karti, born in 1953, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2015 during the ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir‘s rule. In 1997, Karti was the Minister of State for Justice. He also took charge of coordinating what is known as the “Sudanese People’s Defense Forces,” a group of tribal militias estimated to have up to 10,000 fighters.
Sudanese journalist Rasha Awad describes Karti in an article published on the Sudanese news site “Altaghyeer” as the “founder leader of the militia.” She states that he leads a faction allied with the army’s commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, aiming to weaken the transitional leadership and sow division within it.
Karti had previously described the Rapid Support Forces, which fights alongside the army, as “terrorist and rebellious.”
In March 2020, the Sudanese Public Prosecutor’s office ordered Karti‘s arrest for his role in the 1989 coup that brought al-Bashir to power. The statement also mentioned the freezing of his assets and the issuance of arrest warrants for five other individuals. However, Sudanese journalists claim that these orders were revoked after the October 2021 coup led by the military against the civilian government of Abdallah Hamdok.
Karti‘s militia is known for its allegiance to the Islamic movement, and Karti is known for taking the side of al-Bashir during the conflict with the then-leader of the Islamic movement, Hassan al-Turabi, according to a study by researcher Yago Salmon published on the “Small Arms Survey” website specializing in issues related to quasi-military groups.
According to Sudanese expert Dr. Abdel Fattah Arman, Karti, who holds a law degree, is also known for trading in minerals, including iron, steel, and cement, as mentioned in an article published on the “Sudan Tribune” website.
The U.S. Department of State described the group led by Karti as an “extremist Islamic group actively opposing democratic transition in Sudan.” It added that Karti “led efforts to undermine the previous civilian-led transitional government and obstruct the framework for a political agreement.”
The U.S. State Department mentioned that Karti and other officials from the previous regime (al-Bashir) are currently obstructing efforts to achieve a ceasefire between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, mobilizing forces to enable continued fighting and opposing the Sudanese civil efforts to resume the stalled democratic transition in Sudan.
