U.S. Declares Sudan's RSF Committed Genocide in Darfur, Sanctions Leader Hemedti and UAE-Based Companies

Jan 7, 2025, 06:20 PM

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Tuesday that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide during the country's civil war, particularly in the Darfur region. Blinken stated, "I have now concluded that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan." The RSF has been accused of systematically targeting civilians based on ethnic grounds, including the murder of men and boys—even infants—and the rape of women and girls. They have also prevented civilians from accessing lifesaving supplies, using denial of humanitarian relief as a weapon of war. In response, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, including a travel ban, as well as sanctions on seven companies and one individual linked to the group, some of which are based in the United Arab Emirates involved in procuring weapons for the RSF. The sanctions aim to hold the RSF accountable for ongoing atrocities that have killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since the conflict erupted in April 2023.