On Wednesday, the United States government imposed sanctions on prominent leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the conflicting parties in Sudan, in response to their involvement in atrocities against civilians.
The State Department specifically identified Abdelrahim Hamdan Daglo and Abdul Rahman Juma as individuals responsible for overseeing a range of violations, including assassinations and kidnappings, during Sudan’s five-month-long conflict. This ongoing conflict has resulted in the displacement of nearly 2 million people and the loss of over 2,000 lives.
Abdelrahman serves as the deputy leader of the RSF and is the sibling of the rebel group’s leader, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Meanwhile, Juma holds the position of RSF General and West Darfur Sector Commander. The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on him due to his direct involvement in grave human rights violations.
“According to credible sources, on June 15, 2023, RSF forces led by General Juma kidnapped and killed the Governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abbakar, and his brother. This act came just hours after Abbakar’s public statements condemning the actions of the RSF.
“Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on RSF Senior Commander Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo for his connection to the RSF, whose members have committed human rights abuses against civilians in Sudan, to include conflict-related sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity,” the State Department said on Wednesday.
After Khamis was fatally shot in broad daylight, the Sudan Armed Forces and RSF both released statements in which they each accused the other of murder.
Yet, the US said members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur have committed atrocities and other abuses, inducing ethnically motivated killings, “targeted abuses against human rights activists and defenders, conflict-related sexual violence, and looting and burning of communities”.
“We will not hesitate to use the tools at our disposal to hinder the ability of the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to further prolong this war, and we will also use such tools to deter any actor from undermining the Sudanese people’s aspiration for peace and civilian, democratic rule.
“We will act to promote accountability for those responsible for atrocities and to pursue justice for the victims. The parties must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, hold accountable those responsible for atrocities or other abuses, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and negotiate an end to the conflict.”