Nine people claiming to be victims of the persecution committed by Sudan's former government have filed a legal complaint against BNP Paribas SA in a French court over its alleged role in financing said regime, Reuters reported Sept. 26.
According to the complaint, the French bank provided the Sudanese government with access to international money markets at a time when its military was committing what the International Criminal Court has described as war crimes.
The lender is not aware of the complaint and said it will not comment on judicial proceedings, according to a statement provided to the newswire.
"From 2002 to 2008, the Sudanese government — through its military and security forces and Janjaweed militias — committed widespread human rights violations that led to the death of more than 300,000 Sudanese civilians," the statement from the victims and their lawyers said.
In 2014, BNP Paribas plead guilty to violating U.S. sanctions against Sudan, Iran and Cuba and paid a settlement to the tune of $8.97 billion.
