US says Sudan’s RSF committed genocide, announces sanctions on leaders

The United States has determined that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan, announcing sanctions targeting the group’s leader.

In a statement on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the RSF has carried out direct attacks on civilians and systematically murdered men and boys because of their ethnicity.

He also accused the group of using rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls because of their ethnicity.

“The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities,” Blinken said.

A brutal war between Sudan’s military and the rebel RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million internally over the last 18 months.

Thousands have also been killed through conflict-related causes such as illness and starvation, according to a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

“The RSF and RSF-aligned militias have continued to direct attacks against civilians,” Blinken said.

“Those same militias have targeted fleeing civilians, murdering innocent people escaping conflict, and prevented remaining civilians from accessing lifesaving supplies.”