The United States has imposed sanctions on the leader of Sudan’s paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – Mohammed Hamdani Daglo “Hemedti” – and several companies after a determination that the group committed genocide in the Darfur region.
- The RSF was accused of human rights abuses including widespread sexual violence against women and ethnically executing defenseless civilians and unarmed fighters.
- The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned seven companies, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and one individual linked to the RSF that it said procured military equipment and generated finances which helped escalate the conflict.
- The sanctions include travel restrictions to the US and freezing assets while prohibiting the provision of funds or economic resources to the parties.
“For nearly two years, Hemedti’s RSF has engaged in a brutal armed conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces for control of Sudan, killing tens of thousands, displacing 12 million Sudanese, and triggering widespread starvation,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Tuesday.
The sanctioned companies include: Capital Tap Holding, Capital Tap Management, Capital Tap General, Creative Python, AZ Gold, Al Jil Al Qadem, and Horizon Advanced Solutions. In addition to Hemedti, the US also sanctioned Abu Dharr, who owns and manages the Capital Tap conglomerate.
Why it Matters
The latest conflict in Sudan begun in April 2023 after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) fell out with the RSF in a power struggle amid a planned transition to civilian rule. Since then, more than 12,000 people have been killed and millions displaced, with no end in sight.
The conflict has, as is common with Horn of Africa geopolitics, attracted external players with ulterior motives on supporting whichever side eventually wins. The role of the United Arab Emirates in bolstering Hemedti’s forces has been under scrutiny from the start, although each side has the support of external players.
The sanctioning of 7 UAE-based companies, plus a United Nations panel’s linking of Abu Dhabi to the RSF, further affirm the accusations despite denials by the UAE. In recent months, Turkiye has umped up efforts to negotiate a truce between the SAF and Abu Dhabi, which might see Abu Dhabi withdraw its support for RSF.
In the meantime, the SAF has claimed that it is regaining control of Omdurman, the country’s second largest city, which sits across the River Nile from the capital.
The timing of the sanctions, in the dying weeks of US President Joe Biden’s administration, may not amount to much. It might also appear as contradictory, as Washington has routinely defended Israel against similar claims in its onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
