The United States has accused Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the measures, stating that Hemedti was being penalized for orchestrating “systematic” atrocities during the ongoing 20-month conflict in Sudan.
Blinken accused the RSF and its allied militias of carrying out horrific acts, including the murder of men, boys, and infants, as well as widespread sexual violence targeting women based on their ethnicity.
He also stated that the militias had killed civilians attempting to flee the violence.
“Based on this information, I have now concluded that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan,” Blinken said.
The US action follows reports of atrocities and dire humanitarian conditions in conflict zones such as Darfur.
Both the RSF and the Sudanese military, locked in a brutal conflict since April 2023, have faced accusations of war crimes.
In response, the RSF criticized the US for what it called a biased approach.
Hemedti’s adviser, El-Basha Tbaeq, accused the Biden administration of “double standards” and failing to effectively address the Sudanese crisis.
He warned that the sanctions could complicate the situation further and hinder peace efforts.
The conflict has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. An estimated 150,000 people have been killed, and famine has been declared in several regions, leaving 24.6 million people roughly half of Sudan’s population in urgent need of food aid.
Blinken emphasized that neither the RSF nor Sudan’s military had the legitimacy to govern the country.
“Both belligerents bear responsibility for the violence and suffering in Sudan and lack the legitimacy to govern a future peaceful Sudan,” he stated.
The US sanctions block Hemedti and his family from entering the country and freeze any assets they hold there.
Additionally, seven RSF-linked companies based in the United Arab Emirates and another individual have been sanctioned for supplying weapons to the paramilitary group.
BBC/Patience Ameh
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