Canada has announced sanctions against those it accuses of perpetuating the civil war in Sudan, as the conflict enters its second year.

For several months, Africa experts and the Liberal Democratic National Party have criticized them for not following peer nations like the United States in imposing sanctions against those who support and empower warlords.

Those included in the sanctions are Sudanese paramilitary forces leader Abdel Raouf Hamdan Daglo and former Foreign Minister Ali Karti, who led an Islamic group opposing democratic governance.

Ottawa is also imposing sanctions on four companies it accuses of encouraging the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces.

The two branches of the Sudanese army have been competing for control for several months until a political dispute escalated into civil war last April, causing what the United Nations calls the largest internal displacement crisis in the world.

A conference is being held in Paris aimed at addressing the enormous humanitarian needs in the country, which the United Nations says is on the brink of famine.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced the sanctions in a press release on Monday, stating that those targeted "directly or indirectly undermine peace, security, and stability in Sudan."