The United States accused the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on its leader.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, is being punished for his role in “systematic” atrocities against the Sudanese people during the 20-month-old conflict.
He added that the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias are responsible for the killing of “men and boys, even infants,” as well as brutal sexual violence against women along ethnic lines.
Blinken said the militias also targeted fleeing civilians and killed innocent people fleeing the conflict.
“Based on this information, I have now concluded that members of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias committed genocide in Sudan,” he said.
In response, the RSF accused the United States of double standards and failing to effectively address the ongoing crisis.
Al-Basha Tabak, Hemedti’s advisor, said in a blog post on his website that the decision… expresses the failure of the (US President Joe) Biden administration to deal with the Sudanese crisis and the double standards it followed (regarding the crisis). His account is X.
He added that this may complicate the Sudanese crisis and obstruct negotiations to address the root causes of the conflict.
The RSF has been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023, and there has been growing outcry about its behavior during the war.
Both sides have been accused of committing atrocities, and the conflict has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
In May, the US special envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, said some estimates suggested up to 150,000 people had been killed in the conflict.
Famine has been declared in several parts of the country, with 24.6 million people – about half the population – in need of urgent food aid, according to experts.
Blinken said that the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army are not qualified to rule Sudan.
He added, “Both warring parties bear responsibility for the violence and suffering in Sudan and lack the legitimacy to rule a peaceful Sudan in the future.”
The sanctions prevent Hemedti and his immediate family members from visiting the United States, and any personal assets there are blocked.
Sanctions were also imposed on seven RSF-owned companies based in the United Arab Emirates and another individual for helping the paramilitary group purchase weapons.
