US sanctions RSF commander accused of rights abuses in Sudan’s Darfur

Abdel Rahman Juma Barkalla is accused of main a marketing campaign marred by sexual and ethnically motivated violence.

The USA has imposed sanctions on Abdel Rahman Juma Barkalla, whom it says is chargeable for human rights abuses in West Darfur.

The US Division of the Treasury outlined a collection of sanctions towards the commander, head of the Fast Help Forces’ (RSF’s) West Darfur operations, on Tuesday.

Barkalla, the division stated, has been “a main celebration chargeable for the continued violence towards civilians in Sudan since Might 2023”.

Barkalla led a violent marketing campaign in West Darfur marred by credible allegations of rights violations, together with sexual and ethnically motivated violence, it stated, blaming him for overseeing the “terror unleashed on the native inhabitants”. Particularly, Barkalla was concerned within the kidnapping and killing of the area’s governor, Khamis Abbaka, the division added.

“The USA stays centered on supporting an finish to this battle and calls on each side to take part in peace talks and make sure the fundamental human rights of all Sudanese civilians,” Treasury performing Undersecretary for Terrorism and Monetary Intelligence Bradley Smith stated in an announcement.

The US sanctions towards Barkalla come simply days after a UN Safety Council committee additionally blacklisted the commander, banning him from worldwide journey and freezing his belongings.

The UN committee imposed the identical sanctions on the RSF’s head of operations, Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed.

In Might, the US Treasury Division additionally imposed sanctions on Mohamed, in addition to the group’s Central Darfur commander, Ali Yagoub Gibril.

Sudan has been gripped by a lethal battle since April 2023 between its military, led by Basic Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by his former deputy, Basic Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who’s also called “Hemedti”.

UN specialists have estimated that the RSF, with the assist of Arab militias, has killed between 10,000 and 15,000 individuals within the West Darfur capital of el-Geneina alone.

The battle has displaced greater than 10 million individuals – together with 2.4 million who’ve fled to different international locations, creating one of many worst world humanitarian crises, in accordance with UN information.

Practically 25 million individuals – half of Sudan’s inhabitants – want support as famine has taken maintain in displacement camps.

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