US imposes sanctions on Sudan's RSF commander for human rights violations

The United States sanctioned a senior Sudanese military official on Tuesday, accusing him of overseeing human rights abuses in his country's West Darfur region.

The Treasury Department announced the sanctions on Abdel Rahman Joma'a Barakallah, a commander with Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which it accused of being "a primary party responsible for the ongoing violence against civilians in Sudan."

Sudan has been gripped by a deadly conflict since April 2023 between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by his former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is also known as Hemedti.

In a statement, the Treasury said the RSF's campaign in West Darfur "was marked by credible claims of serious human rights abuses, including targeting of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and ethnically motivated violence."

UN experts have estimated that the RSF, with the support of Arab militias, have killed between 10,000 and 15,000 people in the West Darfur town of El-Geneina alone.

"Today's action underscores our commitment to hold accountable those who seek to facilitate these horrific acts of violence against vulnerable civilian populations in Sudan," Treasury acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Bradley Smith said in a statement.

"The United States remains focused on supporting an end to this conflict and calls on both sides to participate in peace talks and ensure the basic human rights of all Sudanese civilians," he added.