A U.N. Security Council committee is reviewing possible sanctions on two generals from Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for endangering the country’s peace, security, or stability, including through violence and human rights violations.
If imposed, these would mark the first U.N. sanctions linked to Sudan’s ongoing war, which began in mid-April last year due to a power struggle between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the RSF during a planned shift to civilian governance.
Diplomats report that the U.S. has proposed sanctions, including a travel ban and asset freeze, on RSF Operations Chief Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed and RSF West Darfur Commander Abdel Rahman Juma Barkalla.
The UN Security Council’s Sudan sanctions committee, consisting of 15 members, operates by consensus. If no objections are raised by Friday, the sanctions will take effect.
Committee members may also request an extension, delay the proposal by placing it on hold, or block it outright.
Ethnic violence in Sudan has surged, with much of the blame directed at the RSF, which denies civilian harm, attributing any wrongdoing to rogue elements.
The U.S. accuses both the RSF and allied militias of war crimes, including crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
The U.N. reports nearly 25 million Sudanese need humanitarian assistance, with famine imminent. Additionally, 10 million people have been displaced, over 2.2 million of whom have fled to neighboring countries.
In an effort to end the Darfur conflict, the U.N. Security Council introduced targeted sanctions on Sudan in 2005, with three individuals currently remaining on the list since their inclusion in 2006. An arms embargo on Darfur was implemented a year earlier in 2004.
The U.N. estimates that during the early 2000s, 300,000 people lost their lives in Darfur as “Janjaweed” militias, which later evolved into the RSF, assisted the military in crushing a rebellion by non-Arab groups.
Former Sudanese leaders are now facing charges of genocide and crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court.
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