US sanctions Sudanese paramilitary commander for his role in West Darfur violence

CAIRO (AP) — The United States has sanctioned a commander of Sudan’s paramilitary forces, saying he played a leading role in the ongoing violence against civilians in West Darfur.

The U.S. Department of Treasury said in a statement on Tuesday that Abdel Rahman Juma Barakallah led the Rapid Support Forces campaign in West Darfur, committing human rights abuses against civilians, including sexual violence and ethnically-motivated attacks. The United Nations and international rights groups have said the atrocities in Sudan amount to war crimes.

“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,” said Bradley T. Smith, the acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

“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.

The treasury department said Barakallah also played a key role in the kidnapping and killing West Darfur Governor Khamis Abbakar.

The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 when simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital Khartoum and spread to other regions including Darfur. The U.N. says over 20,000 people have been killed in the war and more than 33,000 injured.

The war forcibly displaced 11.6 million Sudanese, including 8.3 million people internally and 3.1 million people who fled to neighboring countries. The conflict also resulted in the outbreak of diseases and food insecurity.

Tuesday’s sanctions came after the U.N. Security Council’s decision last week to add Barakallah and Maj. Gen. Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed, head of the paramilitary’s operations department, to the sanctions blacklist. The treasury department previously designated Mohamed in May.

The U.S. sanctions against Barakallah means he is subjected to U.S. visa restrictions, and that any properties and interests he has in the U.S. or are in control of U.S. citizens are blocked and must be reported to the Treasury Department.

Last month, the United States sanctioned Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, a senior RSF leader and the brother of the paramilitary’s commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, for “leading efforts” to supply weapons throughout the war. Algoney controls the UAE-based Tradive General Trading LLC, a front company that imported vehicles to Sudan on behalf of the paramilitary RSF and retrofitted them with machine guns.