U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias have committed genocide against civilians in Sudan.
This declaration builds on the U.S.’s previous assessments in which it accused the RSF and allied Arab militias as responsible for ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, as well as war crimes committed alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in 2023.
The U.S. government’s determination of genocide was made after a reported thorough legal analysis and a careful review of the facts, underscoring the dire situation unfolding in Sudan, where the RSF has been accused of mass killings, displacement of millions, and severe destruction. The announcement came with an update on sanctions targeting seven RSF-owned companies based in the United Arab Emirates, as well as one individual involved in procuring weapons for the RSF.
The sanctions package also targets RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, widely known as Hemedti, for his central role in exacerbating the conflict. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Hemedti under Executive Order 14098, which targets individuals destabilizing Sudan and obstructing its transition to democracy. Hemedti has also been designated under Section 7031(c) for gross human rights violations, including the mass rape of civilians by RSF forces under his command.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned the atrocities committed by the RSF and underscored that the United States does not support either warring faction in Sudan. Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that both the RSF and SAF bear responsibility for the violence and suffering in Sudan, and neither group holds the legitimacy to govern the country.
The United States has been a leading humanitarian donor to Sudan, providing vital assistance to those affected by the conflict. However, Thomas-Greenfield lamented that international efforts, including meetings at the United Nations, have not been sufficient to end the crisis. The U.S. remains committed to promoting peace, accountability, and democracy in Sudan, and intends to continue using all available tools to support the Sudanese people in their fight for a better future.
