The US accused Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on its leader, RSF Commander Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, yesterday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the measures, citing the RSF’s role in widespread atrocities during the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
In a damming press statement published yesterday, Blinken states that the RSF and its allied militias have systematically targeted ethnic groups through acts of murder, sexual violence, and attacks on fleeing civilians.
“Based on this information, I have now concluded that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan.”, he states.
Adding that, “The RSF has wantonly ignored commitments under international humanitarian law, the 2023 Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, and the 2024 Code of Conduct established by the Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan initiative.”
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned seven companies linked to the RSF, including UAE-based firms alleged to have provided funding and weapons.
Among them is Capital Tap Holding L.L.C., a conglomerate based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and implicated in facilitating the RSF’s arms procurement and gold trade, activities critical to sustaining the group’s operations.
Sanctions, including those targeting UAE-linked entities such as Capital Tap Holding L.L.C., block Hemedti and affiliated organisations from accessing US-based assets and prohibit transactions involving these companies.
The sanctions seek to undermine the RSF’s finances and apply pressure on regional backers, especially the UAE. While the immediate impact of the sanctions remains uncertain, they serve as a clear warning to international supporters.
As reported by Radio Dabanga in October last year, OFAC sanctioned Mirghani Idris Suleiman, director of the Sudanese Defence Industries System (DIS). Suleiman is accused of overseeing the Sudanese Armed Forces’ acquisition of weapons for their ongoing conflict with the RSF, undermining efforts to restore peace.
The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the DIS in July 2023, followed by the European Union in January 2024.
The UN Security Council also previously unanimously voted to extend the current sanctions against Sudan in September last year, which include asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo, for another year.
RSF response
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, El Basha Tebeig, an advisor to the RSF Commander, issued a sharp repudiation of US sanctions, accusing Washington of employing double standards and acting with political bias.
Tebeig claimed the decision was shaped by “pressure lobbies known to us” and argued it provided a “moral boost for the Islamic movement led by Ali Karti to continue the extermination of the Sudanese people.”
Dismissing the sanctions as ineffective, Tebeig asserted, “This decision has no value or impact on the current situation in Sudan but may complicate the crisis and hinder reaching serious negotiations.”
The RSF reaffirmed its stance to “uproot the state of injustice and tyranny” and establish a new order grounded in “citizenship, justice, and equality.”
‘RSF violations documented’
A report by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) highlights severe human rights violations in areas under RSF control, particularly Central Darfur, from May till November 2023.
The report published today, highlights a series of severe human rights violations attributed to the RSF. Civilians, including children and elderly women, have been victims of extrajudicial killings carried out by armed RSF members.
Activists and displaced persons accused of opposing the RSF have faced arbitrary arrests and brutal torture. Additionally, women in conflict zones have been subjected to widespread sexual violence, including rape and harassment, further underscoring the group’s systematic abuses.
The ACJPS report underscores the RSF’s use of violence to maintain control over captured territories, painting a grim picture of life in areas under their influence.
Read the full African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies report here: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN CENTRAL DARFUR SINCE ITS SEIZURE BY RSF
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Source: dabangasudan
