U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan, Sanctions RSF Leader and UAE-Based Companies

Secretary of State Antony Blinken accuses Sudan's Rapid Support Forces of ethnic violence, imposing sanctions on its leader and entities linked to weapons procurement.

The U.S. has officially determined that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias in Sudan have committed genocide, including ethnic killings, targeting civilians, and systematic sexual violence.
Sanctions were imposed on RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) and seven UAE-based companies accused of financing and supplying weapons to the RSF.
The RSF, which evolved from the Janjaweed militias responsible for atrocities in the early 2000s, has been accused of ethnically motivated massacres, particularly in Darfur's Masalit community.
The Sudanese civil war, ongoing since April 2023, has displaced over 11 million people and caused widespread famine, with more than 30 million in need of humanitarian aid.
Criticism has been directed at the Biden administration for the timing of the genocide designation, with some arguing it should have acted sooner to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.