US bans Sudan's feared former intelligence chief Salah Gosh

The Untied States has barred entry to Sudan's former intelligence chief over his involvement in a number of gross human rights violations, including torture.

Salah Abdalla Mohamed Mohammed Salih, known as Salah Gosh, was on Wednesday night banned from entering the US under a law that allows the US state department to deny entry to foreign officials involved in corruption and violations of human rights.

“The Secretary of State has credible information that foreign officials have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States”, it said in a statement.

His wife, Awatif Ahmed Seed Ahmed Mohamed, along with his daughter, Shima Salah Abdullah Mohamed, have also been banned under the law passed in 2018.

“The designation of Salah Gosh and his family underscores our support for accountability for those involved in gross violations of human rights. We join the Sudanese people in their call for a transitional government that is truly civilian led and differs fundamentally from the Bashir regime, particularly on the protection of human rights”, the state department added.

“We make this announcement today in support of an effort by the Sudanese people to place the Bashir regime, with its long record of human rights violations and abuses by Gosh and other officials, in the past for good.”

Gosh served in the Sudanese intelligence services for nearly 40 years under, including former President Omar al-Bashir who was ousted in April after months of protests.

During his time, Gosh has been accused of torturing dissidents and mobilising the Khartoum government's militias in the Darfur Conflict.