The United States has imposed sanctions on Abdelrahim Dagalo, the deputy leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), over allegations of human rights abuses.
This action, announced by the U.S. envoy to the United Nations during a visit to Chad’s border with Sudan, marks the highest-profile use of sanctions since the conflict between the RSF and Sudan’s army began in mid-April.
Dagalo, also known as Hemedti’s brother, is the first official from either side to face sanctions since the start of the conflict. Previous sanctions targeted companies and the army. The RSF has repeatedly denied allegations made by conflict monitors, human rights organizations, and witnesses that it is responsible for violence in West Darfur, including conflict-related sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity.
U.S. envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who made the announcement after meeting Sudanese refugees, stated that the sanctions are intended to hold those responsible for abuses accountable. The violence in Sudan’s Darfur region has led to a humanitarian crisis, with many people, particularly from the Masalit ethnic group, fleeing to neighboring countries. The International Criminal Court has initiated an investigation into the violence.
Thomas-Greenfield expressed her commitment to preventing and responding to mass atrocities, comparing the current situation to atrocities that occurred in Darfur two decades ago, which the United States declared a genocide.
