On Monday, the United States imposed sanctions on Sudan's Central Reserve Forces for serious human rights violations, accusing it of using excessive force during the suppression of demonstrations against the ruling military council.
The US Treasury said in a statement that the Central Reserve Forces - which is part of the police - were at the forefront of the Sudanese security forces, which resorted to a "violent response" to deal with the peaceful protests in Khartoum.
The ministry accused the Central Reserve Forces of firing live ammunition at the demonstrators last January, and said that these forces chased the demonstrators who tried to flee from the place, and arrested and beat some of them, as well as shooting demonstrators, killing one and wounding others.
In a statement, Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said that since the army seized power on October 25, Sudan's Central Reserve Police have used excessive force and violence to silence activists and civilian protesters.
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a tweet via Twitter, "The United States has imposed sanctions on the Sudanese Central Reserve Police for using excessive force against protesters."
Over the past months, the streets of Sudan have witnessed protests organized by the resistance committees in the neighborhoods, and the United States, the United Nations and several countries have criticized the security campaigns that have killed at least 88 people since last October.
Western countries and international financial institutions suspended billions of dollars in aid after the army seized power, and military leaders have yet to appoint a prime minister to tackle the economic crisis.
The army says the coup was a necessary corrective step after an internal political struggle, and has pledged to hand over power to a government that enjoys consensus or comes through elections, but protesters want an immediate exit of the army from the political scene.