The United States slapped sanctions on Thursday on Sudan’s leader, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.Washington announced the measures just a week after imposing sanctions against Burhan’s rival in a two-year-old civil war, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Two of the sources said one aim of the sanctions on al-Burhan was to show that Washington was not picking sides.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Speaking among his soldiers earlier on Thursday, al-Burhan was defiant about the prospect that he might be targeted."I hear there’s going to be sanctions on the army leadership. We welcome any sanctions for serving this country," he said in comments broadcast on Al Jazeera television.The Sudanese army and spokespeople for the US State and Treasury departments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The Sudanese army and the RSF together led a coup in 2021 removing Sudan’s civilian