WASHINGTON: The Biden administration on Wednesday said that both sides in the Sudan conflict have committed atrocities in the country’s Darfur region.
The State Department said the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces are responsible for war crimes or crimes against humanity, in Darfur.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement said that based on the State Department’s analysis the members of the SAF and the RSF have committed war crimes in Sudan.
He said it is also determined that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
Blinken stressed the need for urgent African and international efforts to end the violence in Sudan, address the humanitarian crisis, and work towards meaningful justice for victims and the affected communities.
Biden administration already imposed sanctions on RSF
The Biden administration has already imposed restrictions on RSF and Sudanese army officials for their actions in other parts of the country, including capital Khartoum.
Earlier, on Monday the US administration also imposed sanctions on three Sudanese men accused of undermining peace, security and stability. The sanctions are the latest the US administration has imposed on Sudanese leaders and companies.
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In September, this year the US imposed sanctions on Abdel-Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, brother of the RSF leader for alleged violence and human rights abuses.
Chaos started in Sudan in April when tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Force paramilitary commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo escalated into open war.
According to an estimate by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project more than 10,000 people have been killed in the Sudan conflict so far.
According to UN figures the conflict has displaced more than 4.8 million people inside Sudan and has compelled a further 1.2m to flee into neighbouring countries.
