US accuses RSF of genocide in Sudan, sanctions leader Hemedti

The United States has accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing genocide during the ongoing conflict and imposed sanctions on its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.

Announcing the sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Hemedti for his involvement in what he described as “systematic” atrocities against the Sudanese people.

“The RSF and its allied militias have committed heinous acts, including the murder of men, boys—even infants—and brutal sexual violence against women, targeting individuals on ethnic grounds,” Blinken stated on Tuesday. He emphasized the group’s responsibility for attacking fleeing civilians and killing innocent people attempting to escape the conflict. “Based on this information, I have now concluded that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan,” he added.

In response, the RSF criticized the U.S. for alleged double standards and failing to address the crisis effectively. Hemedti’s adviser, El-Basha Tbaeq, responded on social media, accusing the Biden administration of mishandling the Sudanese crisis. “The decision… expresses the failure of the Biden administration to deal with the Sudanese crisis and the double standards it followed,” Tbaeq wrote, suggesting that the sanctions could further complicate peace negotiations.

The RSF has been embroiled in a deadly conflict with Sudan’s military since April 2023, with international outrage growing over the conduct of the paramilitary group. The U.S. previously found that the RSF and other militias had engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing in Darfur, where non-Arab populations have been targeted.

Both sides of the conflict have faced accusations of severe atrocities, contributing to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. In May, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello cited estimates indicating that up to 150,000 people had been killed. The situation has led to famine in several regions, leaving 24.6 million people—half of Sudan’s population—in urgent need of food aid.

Blinken declared that neither the RSF nor the Sudanese military were fit to lead the nation. “Both belligerents bear responsibility for the violence and suffering in Sudan and lack the legitimacy to govern a future peaceful Sudan,” he said.

The sanctions against Hemedti include travel bans for him and his immediate family, as well as the freezing of any U.S.-based assets. Additionally, seven RSF-owned companies in the UAE and one other individual have been sanctioned for their role in supplying weapons to the RSF.