The US has condemned the ongoing conflict in Sudan, saying that the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. In a statement on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the fighting, which erupted in April over a political transition and the integration of the RSF into the army, has caused “grievous human suffering”.
He said more than 10,000 people have been killed, 6.5 million have been displaced inside and outside Sudan, and the economy has been decimated. Blinken called on the warring parties to “stop this conflict now, comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and hold accountable those responsible for atrocities”.
Ethnic Massacre in Darfur
The statement came after Reuters reported on the ethnically targeted violence committed by the RSF and its allied Arab militias in West Darfur, especially in the city of El Geneina.
The RSF and its allies carried out a weeks-long killing campaign against the Masalit tribe, a non-Arab group, in September. They shot children, burned people in their homes, and raped women and girls.
In November, another round of ethnic killings took place in El Geneina, where survivors said Masalit men were rounded up and shot, while some were hacked to death with axes and machetes. “Masalit civilians have been hunted down and left for dead in the streets, their homes set on fire, and told that there is no place in Sudan for them,” Blinken said.
Air and Artillery Strikes on Civilians
The US also accused the army of carrying out an intense campaign of air and artillery strikes on residential neighborhoods, where the RSF has occupied, which experts say could be violations of international law.
“Detainees have been abused and some killed at SAF and RSF detention sites,” Blinken added, referring to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The US has imposed several rounds of sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the conflict, but has not targeted the army and RSF directly, despite calls from human rights activists.
Blinken warned that the US determination does not rule out the possibility of other determinations in the future as more information becomes available. “The United States is committed to building on this determination and using available tools to end this conflict and cease committing the atrocities and other abuses that are depriving the Sudanese people of freedom, peace, and justice,” he said.
Hope for Peace
The US determination comes after Saudi and US-brokered talks aimed at halting the fighting between Sudan’s warring parties faltered again. The talks were based on a peace agreement signed in 2019 between the transitional government and some rebel groups, which envisioned a power-sharing arrangement and the integration of the RSF into the army.
However, the RSF rejected the deal, saying it was not consulted and that it wanted more representation and autonomy. The RSF, which was formed by former leader Omar al-Bashir to quell the Darfur rebellion in the 2000s, has been accused of human rights violations and involvement in regional conflicts.
The US and other international actors have urged the parties to resume dialogue and find a peaceful solution to the crisis, which threatens to derail Sudan’s fragile transition to democracy.
The Sudanese people, who rose up against Bashir’s rule in 2018 and 2019, have also demanded an end to the violence and a civilian-led government that respects their rights and aspirations.
