The Biden administration declared on Tuesday that a Sudanese paramilitary faction, along with its affiliates, is engaging in genocidal acts amid an ongoing civil war with the country’s military forces. This brutal conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands. In response, the administration has imposed sanctions on both the leader of this paramilitary group and various businesses linked to it.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed that the conflict, which escalated nearly two years ago, has now reached the level of what he described as the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world today. He noted that new reports have led him to reassess the situation, determining that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are indeed committing acts of genocide.
“The RSF and its associated militias continue to carry out assaults on civilians,” Blinken stated. He detailed allegations that these forces have engaged in systematic executions of men and boys—including infants—on ethnic grounds, while also deliberately targeting women and girls from specific ethnic backgrounds for sexual violence, including rape.
Furthermore, he described how these militias have attacked those fleeing violence, killing innocents trying to escape the chaos and blocking remaining civilians from receiving critical aid. This genocide declaration does not carry any legal ramifications on its own, but it coincided with a Treasury Department announcement imposing sanctions on RSF chief Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa, commonly referred to as Hemedti, along with seven companies tied to the RSF operating in the United Arab Emirates, with one allegedly involved in the illicit trade of gold likely smuggled from Sudan.
The UAE, a strategic ally of the U.S. comprising seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula, has faced allegations of providing military support to the RSF. However, Emirati officials have consistently denied such claims, despite ongoing evidence of their actions.
The conflict between the RSF and Sudan’s military erupted in April 2023, leading to the deaths of over 28,000 individuals. This turmoil has displaced millions and left some victims resorting to eating grass in an effort to survive, as famine conditions worsen across the nation. Other assessments indicate that the actual death toll may be even higher than reported.
Emirati government representatives did not respond immediately to requests for comments following the sanctions announcement. The RSF has also refrained from commenting, as requests for statements were funneled through intermediaries.
Blinken emphasized that his determination to label the actions as genocide was not meant to favor either combatant in the conflict, but aimed at fostering accountability for war crimes and severe humanitarian atrocities. Yet, many experts have pointed to the RSF as the main perpetrator in the crisis.
According to John Prendergast, co-founder of the U.S.-based watchdog organization The Sentry, the RSF has been responsible for some of the most brutal atrocities occurring globally today. He remarked that the Biden administration’s recent actions are significant in initiating accountability, which could potentially exert pressure on the RSF to engage more earnestly in ceasefire negotiations and help prevent future human rights violations.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum expressed that this decision serves as a grim recognition of the atrocious acts suffered by individuals who have long been overlooked.
