US accuses RSF of Sudan genocide and sanctions its leader
The US has accused the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on its leader.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, is being punished for his role in “systematic” atrocities against the Sudanese people during the 20-month conflict.
He said the RSF and allied militias were responsible for the killing of “men and boys – even infants”, as well as brutal sexual violence against women along ethnic lines.
Militias have also targeted fleeing civilians and killed innocent people fleeing the conflict, Blinken said.
“Based on this information, I have now concluded that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan,” he said.
In response, RSF has accused the US of adopting double standards and failing to effectively address the current crisis.
Hemedti’s adviser, El-Basha Tabek, said in a post, “This decision…expresses the failure of the (US President Joe) Biden administration in handling the Sudanese crisis and the double standards it has adopted (regarding the crisis) Is.” His ex account.
He said this could complicate the Sudanese crisis and hinder negotiations to address the root causes of the conflict.
The RSF has been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023, and there is growing anger over its conduct during the war.
Both sides have been accused of atrocities, making the conflict one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
In May, US special envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello said that some estimates said 150,000 people had been killed in the conflict.
According to experts, famine has been declared in many parts of the country, with 24.6 million people – almost half the population – in urgent need of food aid.
Mr Blinken said neither the RSF nor Sudan’s military were suitable to rule Sudan.
“Both belligerents are responsible for the violence and suffering in Sudan and do not have the legitimacy to rule a peaceful Sudan in the future,” he said.
Under the sanctions, Hemedti and his family members are barred from traveling to the US and any personal property held there is frozen.
Seven RSF-owned companies based in the UAE and another individual are also being sanctioned for helping the paramilitary group purchase weapons.
