Deputy Commander of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces Abdel Rahim Daglo stated on Thursday that "the sanctions imposed by the United States against him are unjust." He announced that the forces seized enough weapons from the army to sustain a fight for 20 years. During a visit to the Chad-Sudan border to meet with refugees fleeing ethnic and sexual violence, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced the sanctions against Daglo, the brother of Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemeti.
Daglo told Sky News Arabia on Thursday, "The sanction decision is unjust and based on information from sources against the Rapid Support Forces." He added that the U.S. took this action without a clear investigation. Thomas-Greenfield mocked Daglo's response, stating to Reuters in N'Djamena, "Please. The unjust and unreasonable thing is the atrocities being committed against the Sudanese people. That is the unjust thing." She emphasized, "It's about justice, about accountability, and that is what we will continue to focus on."
The move to target Daglo with sanctions is the most significant since the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army began in mid-April. It appears to be a response to the violence in West Darfur, which allegations have directed towards the Rapid Support Forces and allied armed groups. Daglo stated, "The entities that imposed the sanctions did not pause to understand who is creating strife and killing people in Darfur." The Rapid Support Forces stated in a statement that this step "will inevitably cast negative shadows on the role of the United States as a mediator," blaming the army for committing "horrific violations" in Darfur and describing the violence there as a "long-standing and renewed tribal conflict."
They also criticized the accusation against Rapid Support Forces Commander in West Darfur, General Abdul Rahman Jumaa, regarding the responsibility for the death of the state's governor in June, stating that the sanctions "ignored the Rapid Support Forces' clear and public call for an independent international investigation into the events that occurred in the capital of West Darfur and the killing of Khamis Abdullah Abkar, the state's governor."
**Humanitarian Crisis**
The war in Sudan erupted four years after the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir during a popular uprising. Tensions escalated between the army and the Rapid Support Forces after they co-led a coup in 2021, turning into fighting over a plan for a transition to civilian rule that includes integrating their forces.
Sudanese Army Commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a constitutional decree late Wednesday to dissolve the Rapid Support Forces. Daglo stated in an interview with Sky News Arabia that Burhan "does not have the legitimacy to issue a decision to dissolve the Rapid Support Forces." He added, "We were not ready when the war began, because we were taken by surprise... but by God's grace, we managed to seize all the stores of the 'remnants' and some stores of the armed forces, which contain very heavy supplies of all types of weapons and supplies, enough for us to fight for 20 years."
The United Nations reports that half of Sudan's 49 million residents need aid, launching a call to raise $2.6 billion but managing to secure only 26% of that so far. Additionally, around 380,000 refugees, mostly women and children, have fled the conflict into Chad since April. Hundreds of thousands more have escaped to the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees issued a call to raise $1 billion to help provide aid and protection for more than 1.8 million people expected to flee Sudan this year. The International Organization for Migration stated that more than four million people have been displaced internally since the war began.
The Sovereignty Council announced that Burhan visited Doha on Thursday to discuss humanitarian aid and Qatari investments. This is the latest in a series of Burhan's visits to the region to garner support. The statement noted that Burhan thanked the Emir of Qatar and expressed "his deep appreciation for the historic fraternal relations between the two brotherly countries, praising the significant role that Qatar... under the leadership of its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is playing in maintaining the safety and stability of Sudan under these circumstances."
