The U.S. government has officially determined that members of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide during the country’s ongoing civil war. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the announcement Tuesday, citing systematic atrocities targeting specific ethnic groups in Darfur and other regions.

The RSF and allied militias have been accused of widespread ethnic-based killings, sexual violence, and targeting civilians attempting to flee conflict zones. Blinken detailed crimes that included murdering men and boys, raping women and girls, and obstructing access to humanitarian aid. 

The atrocities have disproportionately affected non-Arab communities in Darfur, where up to 15,000 people died in RSF-led attacks on El Geneina in 2023.

This marks the second genocide determination in Sudan within the past three decades, following atrocities committed in Darfur in the early 2000s by the RSF’s predecessor, the Janjaweed militias.

In conjunction with the genocide designation, the U.S. imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti), seven RSF-linked companies based in the United Arab Emirates, and an individual accused of facilitating arms procurement for the group. 

The sanctions include visa restrictions barring Hemedti and his family from entering the United States.

Blinken emphasized the U.S. commitment to holding those responsible accountable, stating: “The United States is committed to ensuring justice for the Sudanese people.”

The civil war began in April 2023 after tensions between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) escalated into open conflict. Over 20,000 people have been killed, and more than 13 million displaced, with millions facing famine and acute food insecurity.

Recent U.N. reports project worsening famine conditions in Darfur and other regions into 2025, with starvation exacerbated by forced displacement and continued conflict.