Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the genocide determination Tuesday. The United States has repeatedly declared that war crimes have been committed by both warring parties in Sudan's civil war, but Blinken alleged that the RSF's systematic murder and sexual violence targeting individuals based on their ethnicity now meets the high threshold of genocide.
"The RSF and allied militias have systematically murdered men and boys -- even infants -- on an ethnic basis, and deliberately targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of brutal sexual violence. Those same militias have targeted fleeing civilians, murdering innocent people escaping conflict, and prevented remaining civilians from accessing life-saving supplies," Blinken said in a statement.
The breakaway RSF and the Sudan Defense Force have been locked in a deepening and bloody civil war since April 2023, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands, the displacement of millions and the creation of the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe.
The genocide determination is largely symbolic, but the U.S. Treasury accompanied Blinken's announcement with sanctions targeting Gen. Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa, leader of the RSF, as well as the paramilitary weapons supplier Abu Dharr Abdul Nabi Habiballa Ahmmed and seven related companies.
Allegations of ethnic violence have come predominantly from Sudan's Darfur province, where RSF and its aligned militias have killed thousands.
Blinken mentioned Darfur in his statement, directly implicating Mohammad Hamdan in gross human rights violations committed there, specifically the mass rape of civilians.
"The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities," Blinken said.
The United States has repeatedly responded with sanctions to the civil war, which broke out following years of uncertainty in the country as it attempted to crawl toward stability after the fall of African nation's former three-decade dictator government of President Omar al-Bashir in a civilian-backed coup in 2019.
The genocide determination is the second made by the United States in Darfur this century. In September of 2004, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell declared a genocide was being committed in Darfur province by the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed militia, which would later evolve into the RSF.
Brian Adeba, senior advisor at The Sentry, an investigative and policy organization, said the genocide determination sends "a strong message" to victims that their suffering is recognized and that justice will be pursued.
"Most importantly, the determination signals that the world is waking up to the task of holding those who commit mass atrocities accountable. This determination must be accompanied by bold and concrete action to not only hold perpetrators accountable, but also protect civilians, and support the pursuit of justice and peace in Sudan," Adeba said in a statement.
Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, similarly described Blinken's determination in a statement as an important step to identifying atrocities committed by the RSF.
"Keeping U.S. focus on holding the RSF and SAF accountable and ending this conflict must continue to be a priority as we seek to address the world's worst humanitarian crisis," he said.
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