US: State Department Determines Genocide in Sudan

The United States government said on January 7, 2025 that it had determined that Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces committed genocide in Darfur during the current conflict in Sudan. The US government also sanctioned the RSF commander, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, for atrocities committed by his forces in Sudan, along with seven RSF-linked companies.

These sanctions are a positive step. Dagalo’s forces, who have been engaged in a brutal conflict against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, have carried out widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity across Sudan. Human Rights Watch has documented targeted ethnic killings, systematic rape and sexual violence, and mass displacement by the RSF in West Darfur, and called for further investigation into evidence of genocidal intent on the part of the RSF.

The US government’s genocide determination and sanctions are crucial progress toward accountability. The US government should share evidence with the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan and the International Criminal Court to pursue the justice that the Sudanese people deserve. The United States and others should also expand sanctions on other actors blocking aid or violating Darfur's arms embargo, and pressure allies, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to stop weapons transfers to Sudan.

The following quote can be attributed to Nicole Widdersheim, deputy Washington director at Human Rights Watch:

“The State Department’s announcement should be the first step toward redefining US policy in Sudan with accountability and civilian protection at the center. We hope to see more pressure from the United States on the parties to the conflict and US allies to respond to past and ongoing atrocities and human suffering.”