US sanctions senior Sudan paramilitary chief over ‘rights abuses’ in Darfur

The US has imposed sanctions on a commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusing him of being involved in gross human rights abuses in West Darfur, Anadolu reported.

A statement issued yesterday said the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning Abdel Rahman Joma’a Barakallah for his leadership role in the RSF, a primary party responsible for the ongoing violence against civilians in Sudan since April 2023.

“Barakallah led the RSF’s campaign in West Darfur, which was marked by credible claims of serious human rights abuses, including targeting of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and ethnically motivated violence,” the statement said.

On 8 November, a United Nations Security Council committee blacklisted Barakallah and the RSF’s head of operations, Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed, banning them from international travel and freezing their assets.

The Department of the Treasury said the decision against Barakallah came after the Security Council committee’s decision.

In September 2023, the State Department imposed visa restrictions on Barakallah citing his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the kidnapping and killing of the lawful governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abbakar.

The RSF has not commented on the US decision.

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