U.S. sanctions RSF deputy leader over Sudan human rights abuses
September 6, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The United States has imposed individual sanctions on Abdel Rahim Daglo, the deputy leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), due to human rights abuses in the country.
The RSF has been engaged in conflict with the Sudanese army in Khartoum, Darfur, and parts of Kordofan for over four months. During this time, its members have been involved in acts of violence and human rights abuses, including the killing of civilians, rape, looting, and the forced displacement of civilians.
Approximately 4.8 million people have been displaced due to the armed conflict, with 400,000 people seeking refuge in neighbouring Chad from the Darfur region.
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) stated that Abdel Rahim Daglo, the brother of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemetti), has been sanctioned for human rights violations and crimes committed against civilians in Sudan since the start of the conflict.
“Today’s action demonstrates Treasury’s commitment to holding those responsible for serious and extensive human rights abuses in Sudan accountable,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson.
Under these sanctions, Daglo’s assets and properties in the U.S. or controlled by U.S. individuals are frozen. Entities mostly owned by sanctioned individuals may also have their assets frozen. Also, U.S. regulations prohibit transactions with sanctioned individuals or entities unless authorized by OFAC.
According to Reuters, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, announced the sanctions in N’Djamena during her visit on Wednesday. “Today, the United States is taking action to hold bad actors accountable,” Thomas-Greenfield emphasized.
Dagalo has been singled out for his role “in RSF abuses against civilians in Sudan, including conflict-related sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity,” she further stressed from the Chadian capital.
The U.S. diplomat, who met with Sudanese refugees in Chad, drew parallels with the atrocities witnessed two decades ago in Darfur, a situation officially recognized by Washington as genocide.
On June 1, OFAC imposed sanctions on four companies associated with the warring parties in Sudan, including two firms run by the Daglo family based in the UAE.
(ST)