Refugees International Applauds U.S. Genocide Determination in Sudan; Momentum on Sudan Must Continue into Trump Administration
“Refugees International applauds the United States’ official determination of genocide in Sudan and new sanctions targeting those responsible. The genocide determination is a significant recognition of the horrors the people of Sudan have experienced amid the war. But it must come with further measures, including accountability for countries fueling the conflict, like the UAE. We will push the incoming Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to take all necessary steps to support the Sudanese people and hold those responsible to account.
The U.S. government’s conclusion that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are responsible for genocide in Sudan comes paired with important accountability measures, including sanctions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa (aka “Hemedti”) and several RSF-owned entities based in the UAE.
The determination reflects extensive evidence of RSF atrocities. Refugees International has worked to document witness accounts of such atrocities, including mass rapes and killings at the hands of the RSF in the town of Ardamata in November 2023. The announcement comes as Sudan’s brutal war has displaced more than 15 million people. More than half of the population is food insecure, and more than 600,000 people are facing famine.
Today’s announcement also designated several entities in the UAE for sanctions, highlighting the importance of holding the UAE accountable for its role in enabling these atrocities. Refugees International and partners have been raising the alarm on the UAE’s role in providing support to the RSF, including its reported misuse of humanitarian aid as a cover for arms shipments. Today’s announcement should also prompt the Biden administration to terminate a pending $1.2 billion dollar U.S. arms sale to the UAE. This should not await the administration’s self-imposed deadline of January 17 to report back on the UAE’s spurious claims that they are not supporting the RSF.
The United States should also take further steps to support the humanitarian response in Sudan, particularly through the country’s Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), Sudanese-led mutual aid groups that have sustained so many through this crisis.
Today’s announcement likewise puts the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on alert that they, too, will be held accountable for the atrocities they commit—which were recognized in an earlier U.S. atrocity determination. Future monitoring and accountability measures must include the RSF, SAF, and any other actors responsible for committing or enabling mass atrocities in Sudan.”
Learn more about Refugees International’s Speak out on Sudan campaign at www.speakoutonsudan.org.
Tell your Senator to say NO to any U.S. arms deals with the UAE until they can certify that they are no longer supporting the RSF.
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.