Category: Blog - Denied Party Digest

Published: 19 November 2021

Burundi Sanctions Program Terminated, SDN List Updated

On November 18, 2021, the Department of the Treasury announced that the Burundi Sanctions Program administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) was no longer in effect. The sanctions, which had been in effect since 2015, were terminated based on "changed circumstances and positive political developments in Burundi, including the reforms pursued by President Ndayishimiye since he took office."

OFAC also summarized the termination as follows:

The President’s E.O. of November 18, 2021, “Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Situation in Burundi,” terminated the national emergency declared in E.O. 13712 and revoked that E.O. As a result of the revocation of E.O. 13712:

• All persons blocked solely pursuant to the Burundi Sanctions Regulations have been removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List;
• All property and interests in property blocked solely pursuant to the Burundi Sanctions Regulations are unblocked; and
• OFAC will remove the Burundi Sanctions Regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations at a future date.

Pending or future OFAC enforcement investigations or actions related to apparent violations of the Burundi Sanctions Regulations that occurred while E.O. 13712 was in effect may still be carried out.

As a result, 19 individuals were removed from OFAC's SDN List.  At the same time, six individuals from Yemen and Iran were added to the SDN List, while the entries for four more were updated.  Despite the end of the Burundi Sanctions Program, individuals and entities from Burundi may still be separately sanctioned under other authorities.  Screening parties in all countries remains a must-do.