The United States punishes the leader of Sudan after concluding that the RSF committed genocide

In a battle that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions more from their homes, the United States declared on Tuesday that members of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and affiliated militias committed genocide in Sudan and sanctioned the group’s head.

According to a statement released by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the RSF and affiliated militias have persisted in attacking civilians. They have also systematically killed men and boys based on their ethnicity and specifically targeted women and girls from particular ethnic groups for rape and other sexual aggressions.

Additionally, the militias have killed innocent persons leaving combat and targeted fled civilians, according to Blinken.

“The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities,” stated Blinken.

The RSF chief, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, was subject to restrictions imposed by Washington that prevented him from entering the country and frozen any assets he could own that belonged to the United States.

“For nearly two years, Hemedti’s RSF has engaged in a brutal armed conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces for control of Sudan, killing tens of thousands, displacing 12 million Sudanese, and triggering widespread starvation,” according to a second statement from the Treasury Department.

The fight between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has lasted for over 18 months, resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe that has made it difficult for U.N. organizations to provide aid.

A power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces set off the conflict in April 2023 in anticipation of a planned shift to civilian governance.