By Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State, December 6, 2023
“Since the outbreak of fighting on April 15, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have unleashed horrific violence, death, and destruction across Sudan. Civilians have borne the brunt of this needless conflict. Detainees have been abused and some killed at SAF and RSF detention sites. Across Sudan, the RSF and allied militias have terrorized women and girls through sexual violence, attacking them in their homes, kidnapping them from the streets, or targeting those trying to flee to safety across the border.
“In haunting echoes of the genocide that began almost 20 years ago in Darfur, we have seen an explosion of targeted violence against some of the same survivors’ communities. Masalit civilians have been hunted down and left for dead in the streets, their homes set on fire, and told that there is no place in Sudan for them.
“Based on the State Department’s careful analysis of the law and available facts, I have determined that members of the SAF and the RSF have committed war crimes in Sudan. I have also determined that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
“The expansion of the needless conflict between RSF and the SAF has caused grievous human suffering. The SAF and the RSF must stop this conflict now, comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and hold accountable those responsible for atrocities.
“They also must adhere to the commitments they made to allow unhindered humanitarian assistance and implement confidence building measures that can lead to a sustainable cessation of hostilities. Arms and funding flowing to the warring parties only prolong a conflict that has no acceptable military solution.
“This determination provides force and renewed urgency to African and international efforts to end the violence, address the humanitarian and human rights crisis, and work towards meaningful justice for victims and the affected communities that ends decades of impunity.
“Today’s determination does not preclude the possibility of future determinations as additional information about the parties’ actions becomes available. The United States is committed to building on this determination and using available tools to end this conflict and cease committing the atrocities and other abuses that are depriving the Sudanese people of freedom, peace, and justice.”
Designation of War Crimes against Humanity Committed in Sudan
By Samantha Power, Administrator, United States Agency for International Development, December 6, 2023
“Nearly 20 years after Secretary Colin Powell announced a determination of genocide in Darfur, today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced his determination that members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have committed war crimes in Sudan, and that the RSF and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, deportation or forcible transfer, and persecution, and are responsible for ethnic cleansing in Darfur.
“Since April 15, the SAF and the RSF have waged war against each other, and against the Sudanese people throughout the country. The ongoing war has fueled a near-collapse in the social fabric and physical infrastructure of Sudan, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. Over the last eight months, it is Sudanese civilians who have borne the brunt of this needless and unconscionable conflict, as the SAF and RSF deny their demands for peaceful, democratic civilian rule and drive one of the largest internal displacement crises in the world. Since April 15, fighting has displaced more than 5.3 million people within Sudan, and a further 1.3 million individuals have fled to neighboring countries, including Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
“Three million of those displaced are children, meaning one out of every eight children in the country has had to flee violence since mid-April. In Darfur, many of these newly displaced have been driven from their homes multiple times. Hospitals and schools across Sudan have been shuttered or destroyed as a result of the fighting – up to 80 percent of health facilities in the country have been shut down leaving millions without vital health care, and unleashing diseases like cholera and malaria.
“Secretary Blinken’s determination of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing committed against the Sudanese people is a necessary step toward accountability for survivors and victims of this and previous conflicts in Sudan. The United States supports the International Criminal Court’s active investigation into crimes in Darfur, and accountability for crimes committed against the people of Darfur from 2003 to this day. Cutting off external support for the RSF and the SAF is essential to ending the violence. Any individual or country that continues to provide material support to either side bears responsibility for fueling atrocities against the Sudanese people.
“It has been horrifying to witness history repeating itself in Sudan nearly two decades later, especially following a civilian-led revolution in 2019 that offered hope for the peaceful, prosperous democracy the Sudanese people deserve. Until a transition to civilian leadership takes place in Sudan, this pattern of needless violence will continue.
“The SAF and RSF must permanently cease hostilities, end interference by government and security forces in humanitarian operations, and facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access so that life-saving assistance can reach those in need. As the largest donor supporting the people of Sudan, the United States continues to support programs that protect human rights and respond to urgent needs of the Sudanese people. We remain committed to the Sudanese people in their quest for freedom, peace, and justice.”