The United States has imposed sanctions on a militia leader in the Central African Republic (CAR) for human rights abuses, the US Department of the Treasury said in a press release on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2020) The United States has imposed sanctions on a militia leader in the Central African Republic (CAR) for human rights abuses, the US Department of the Treasury said in a press release on Friday.
"Today, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), corresponding with an action by the United Nations Security Council, took action against Bi Sidi Souleymane, also known as Sidiki Abbas," the release said.
The Treasury Department noted in the release that the UN Security Council's car Sanctions Committee has also implemented an asset freeze and travel ban on Souleymane.
"Souleymane leads the CAR-based militia group Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation (3R), which has killed, tortured, raped, or displaced thousands of people since 2015. Souleymane himself has also directly participated in torture," the release said.
The 3R group is one of numerous militias and armed groups currently operating in the CAR and it uses murder, kidnapping, and illicit taxation to achieve its goals, as well as clashes with other militias. On September 27, 2016, 3R raided the village of De Gaulle, killing at least 17 villagers and raping women and girls, the Treasury Department said.
