US slaps sanctions on Sudan paramilitary commanders over Darfur offensive

WASHINGTON (CN) — The U.S. issued sanctions on top paramilitary commanders leading the war in Sudan on Wednesday as the specter of a bloody battle looms with no end in sight to the conflict.

Sudan, a country of nearly 50 million people, has been mired in a civil war since April 2023. The conflict broke out on the cusp of a western-brokered transition to democracy between the dual-ruling Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary.

While the United Nations estimates at least 16,000 people have been killed, that number is likely far too low because the country is too dangerous for international observers.

In just one city, Darfur, for example, media reports say between 10,000 and 15,000 people have been killed. Meanwhile, there are worries about a renewed Darfur Genocide as the paramilitary group, which evolved from the militias that carried out the infamous slaughter of the mid-2000s, perpetuates ethnic violence in the region.

More than 9 million people have been forced to flee their homes, while around 25 million people — more than half the country’s population — need humanitarian assistance.

Wednesday’s sanctions targeted two RSF commanders — Ali Yagoub Gibril and Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed — for their role in leading operations in Darfur.

The sanctions come amid international worry about an RSF offensive on the North Darfur city of El Fasher, typically home to half a million people but sheltering more than 1 million. It’s currently controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces and is one of the only cities the paramilitary hasn’t seized in the region.

“While the Sudanese people continue to demand an end to this conflict, these commanders have been focused on expanding to new fronts and battling for control of more territory,” said Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury Department. “The United States will continue to use sanctions to support the peace process and act against those on either side who further perpetuate the conflict.”

Beyond the ethnic violence, aid agencies have warned of an impending famine as harvest yields have dropped, grain prices have increased and the flow of humanitarian assistance has been stymied by the army.

“The leaders of the SAF and RSF and their affiliated militias face a choice — escalate the violence and perpetuate the suffering of their people while risking the disintegration of their country, or cease attacks, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and prepare in good faith for negotiations to end this war and restore power to the people of Sudan,” the State Department said in a statement.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have tried to mediate talks between the warring factions, but negotiations have consistently broken down. Tom Perriello, who was appointed in February as a special envoy to Sudan, is in the region to advance peace efforts.

The current crisis traces back to 1989 when Omar al-Bashir took over the country in a military coup. The Sudanese people eventually toppled his regime in a popular uprising in 2019.

That uprising gained the support of the SAF and RSF, who shared power with civilian leaders in a transitional government meant to lead Sudan to democracy. But that transition was delayed when the army and paramilitary ousted civilian leaders in 2021.