US says Sudanese rebel force has committed genocide, and it imposes sanctions on the group’s leaders
Associated PressJan 08
US Declares Genocide in Sudan, Sanctions RSF Leader
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Above: RSF-leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo talks during a press conference in Khartoum, Sudan on Aug.10, 2022. Image copyright: Mahmoud Hjaj/Contributor/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The Facts
The United States on Tuesday formally declared that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide during the ongoing civil war that began in April 2023.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced sanctions against RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) and seven UAE-based companies for their roles in weapons procurement and financial support.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The RSF is responsible for some of the most heinous atrocities being committed anywhere in the world today. This genocide determination and its consequent sanctions reflect crucial steps toward accountability, and could help leverage ceasefire negotiations. These actions demonstrate the international community's commitment to addressing systematic violence.
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite America's attempts to take the moral high-ground, the raging violence currently afflicting the people of Sudan will not cease until the US and UK publicly condemn the UAE's role in fueling the Sudanese war. Punishing the RSF will do nothing but make the humanitarian situation more dire for the civilians caught in the midst of this brutal conflict — it is the responsibility of Western actors to challenge the UAE's efforts to secure political and economic hegemony at the cost of democracy in Sudan.
