Sudan’s former intelligence chief blacklisted over torture claims
The US on Wednesday sanctioned former Sudanese intelligence chief Salah Gosh, saying it had evidence that he had been involved in torture.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the public designation of Mr Gosh, which bars him and his family from travelling to America.
“Today, the United States designated Salah Abdalla Mohamed Mohamed Salih, known as Salah Gosh, the former director general of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services ... due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights,” Mr Pompeo said.
“Specifically, the department has credible information that Salah Gosh was involved in torture during his tenure.”
Mr Gosh’s spouse, Awatif Mohamed, and daughter, Shima Mohamed, were listed in the same order. He was a close ally of ousted Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir.
“I join the Sudanese people in their call for a transitional government that is truly civilian-led and fundamentally different than the Bashir regime, especially as it relates to its human rights record and abuses implemented by Gosh and other officials,” Mr Pompeo tweeted.
Mr Gosh, 63, resigned his position under public pressure after the military coup that ousted Mr Al Bashir in April.
Mr Gosh served for almost four decades in Sudan’s intelligence services. He was jailed in 2012 on accusations that he had planned a coup to topple Mr Al Bashir, but no evidence was found and the president pardoned him.
Mr Al Bashir reappointed Mr Gosh to head the security service in February last year.
He was born in the old city of Nuri and was reportedly an early member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Over the years, Mr Gosh built a powerful network with regional intelligence services and was known to be close to late Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.
Mr Gosh’s designation is seen as part of a Washington campaign to pressure Sudan into adopting a civilian-led government and block attempts to reverse it.
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale visited the Sudanese capital Khartoum last week where he met representatives from the Transitional Military Council and the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change.
Mr Hale said there was a need for a “swift formation of a civilian-led transitional government in line with the recently agreed political and constitutional documents, which the United States supports”.