The flag of Sudan (Wikipedia)

By Gary Raynaldo   – DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

The U.S. imposed sanctions Tuesday on a senior leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for his role in obtaining weapons and war atrocities against civilians. Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa was sanctioned for his involvement in RSF efforts to procure weapons and other military materiel that have enabled the RSF’s ongoing operations in Sudan, according to the State Department. The Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF have been locked in a deadly power struggle that began in April 2023 that has left more than 20,000 people killed and some 10 million displaced.

“Algoney’s actions have fueled the war and brutal RSF atrocities against civilians, which have included war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. “Rather than heed warnings from the United States and other partners, the RSF and its allied militia have continued to commit atrocities, including those involving sexual violence and ethnically targeted attacks on non-Arab groups. The U.S. Treasury Department said that as a result of sanctions, “all property and interests in property of designated persons… that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to Office of Foreign Assets Control.”

Algoney is being designated, pursuant to E.O. 14098, for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the RSF, an entity that has, or whose members have, engaged in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan, the Treasury Department said.

 “The United States will continue to use the tools at its disposal to support a peace process and impose cost on those perpetuating the conflict.” State Department spokesperson Miller added.