The United States has announced new sanctions targeting the leadership of the para-military Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have been engaged in a conflict with Sudan’s Armed Forces since April.
Announcing the new sanctions in a statement, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken accused the RSF in Darfur of committing atrocities and other abuses, inducing ethnically- motivated killings, conflict-related sexual violence and the burning and looting of communities.
The Department of State announced visa restrictions on RSF General Abdul Rahman Juma while the US Treasury Department is imposing sanctions of RSF senior commander Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, also for human rights abuses.
Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo is the brother of RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo known as Hemedti, with the US move seen as the highest profile use of sanctions since the conflict between the two military factions broke out almost five months ago.
The State Department cites credible sources that RSF Forces led by General Juma kidnapped and killed the Governor of West Darfur Khamis Abbakar and his brother in June.
Blinken says that the US continued to call on all external actors to avoid fueling the conflict and would not hesitate to use the tools at its disposal to hinder the ability of the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces to further prolong the war.
