US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has declared that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed genocide during the more than year-long civil war in Sudan. This marks the second genocide in Sudan in less than three decades, following the atrocities in Darfur in the early 2000s.
Blinken stated that the RSF and its allied militias have been targeting civilians, systematically murdering men, boys, and even infants on an ethnic basis. Additionally, women and girls from specific ethnic groups have been deliberately subjected to rape and other forms of brutal sexual violence.
The RSF and its allies have also been accused of preventing civilians from accessing life-saving supplies and targeting innocent people fleeing conflict. Blinken's conclusion of genocide follows previous determinations of crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes committed by the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Reports have detailed gruesome massacres, enslavement campaigns, and forced recruitment by the RSF and its allies in various regions of Sudan. The ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023, has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with diplomatic efforts to end the conflict proving unsuccessful.
In response to these atrocities, the United States has imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa, also known as Hemedti. Hemedti, a former leader of the Janjaweed militia involved in the Darfur genocide, faces consequences for his role in the systematic atrocities against the Sudanese people.
Visa restrictions have been placed on Hemedti and his family members, preventing them from entering the US due to gross human rights violations, including mass rape of civilians by RSF soldiers under his command. Sanctions have also been imposed on UAE-based companies and a Sudanese individual with ties to the RSF.
Blinken emphasized that the US does not support either side of the conflict and that actions against Hemedti and the RSF do not indicate favor for the SAF. Both parties are held accountable for the violence and suffering in Sudan, with the US considering further actions to address those perpetuating the conflict and atrocities against the Sudanese people.
