U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in a statement that members of the Sudanese Armed Forces, the SAF, and members of the Rapid Support Forces, the RSF, have committed war crimes in Sudan.
Secretary Blinken added the United States also determined that “members of the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.” He mentioned, in particular, the hunting down and killing of Masalit civilians “left for dead in the streets.”
Secretary Blinken said the determination “provides force and renewed energy to African and international efforts to end the violence.”
Sudan has been plunged into horrific conflict since April 2023 when the SAF and the RSF broke out in fierce fighting, extinguishing hopes for a timely transition to democracy in a country that suffered decades of dictatorship.
According to the United Nations, more than 12,000 people have been killed in Sudan since April, “including 1,300 people who were killed between 28 October and 24 November.”
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “The SAF and the RSF must end this brutal conflict.”
“We have documented repeated atrocities. We have documented members of the factions going in and just executing civilians in villages at point blank ranges. We’ve seen accounts of them going into schools and demanding to know where are the boys, where are the men, so they could execute them. We’ve seen systematic accounts of rapes,” he said.
“For too long,” he declared, “the belligerents have killed, raped, and attacked civilians with impunity in Sudan:”
“The international community must work towards meaningful justice for victims and the affected communities and bring an end to this impunity. As we work with our African partners, the United States calls on all countries to support efforts to protect civilians in Sudan, prevent future atrocities, and promote accountability for those responsible for these horrific acts.”
Spokesperson Miller pointed out that in the past the United States has imposed a series of sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for undermining peace and stability and for serious human rights abuses in Sudan and will “use all tools at our disposal” to help bring about the conflict’s end.
“The United States,” he said, “stands with the Sudanese people, who did not ask for this war, in support of their rightful demands for a transition to democracy and freedom, peace and justice.”
