DARFUR Union in the UK Welcomes the US Treasury Sanctions Expansion to include Abdelrahim Dagalo a

02:32 AM September, 09 2023

Sudanese Online
SudaneseOnline News-USA
My Library
Short URL



DARFUR Union in the UK Welcomes the US Treasury Sanctions Expansion to include Abdelrahim Dagalo and Calls for Further Actions

*The US State Department's regional spokeswoman said that Abdelrahim Dagalo was sanctioned because of reports and evidence of horrific abuses in Darfur, including the use of sexual violence and rape by the Rapid Support Forces against the civilians*

*The extent of Dagalo’s embezzlement of public money to buy political allegiance within and outside Sudan to whitewash his war crimes as well as to buy weapons should be investigated and exposed*

*Any assets/money seized from this terrorist organisation (RSF) should be used first and foremost to help internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees*

*This article also discusses Exhibit 5, newly surfaced footage of the desecration of the body of the late Governor of West Darfur by the RSF, Janjaweed, and their families*

*Latest news from Nyala is that shelling between the two warring groups has displaced 120,000 people, in a similar situation to Elgeneina. Some IDPs have Arrived to al-Fashir on Foot*

The DARFUR Union in the UK has welcomed the US sanctions on the deputy leader of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Abdelrahim Dagalo. In a statement, the union said that the sanctions were a "welcome move" and that they "send a strong message that the international community will not tolerate impunity for human rights abuses."
“The United States is taking action to hold bad actors accountable," U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced during a trip to Chad's border with Sudan on Wednesday (ref. 1). Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield was in a visit to the Sudanese refugees in East Chad where she was meeting with Sudanese refugees who had fled the worsening ethnic and sexual violence in Sudan's Darfur region, the UN human rights chief announced that she would be sending a team of experts to investigate the situation. She described the violence as "reminiscent" of the atrocities that took place in Darfur 20 years ago, which the United States had declared a genocide (ref. 2). She mentioned that the US is committed to providing $163 million more in assistance to the refugees. Hadeel Gharid - regional spokesperson for US State Department, stated that the US sanctioned Abdelrahim due to evidence of war crimes including mass atrocities, sexual violence and rape in Darfur by the RSF and against the civilians. The sanctions included visa restrictions for Abdelrahman Juma Barak Allah, the RSF commander in West Darfur who is the prime suspect in the killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdel Allah Abaker.

The Union also called on the US to "follow the money of the RSF" and to "target other individuals and entities responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur." It is worth noting that this recent sanctions imposed by the US Treasury on Abdelrahim Dagalo are an extension of the sanctions that were issued in July 2023 (ref. 3). The earlier sanctions targeted three Sudanese companies and one UAE company that were deemed to be private owned entities that were undermining and destabilising the democratic transition in Sudan.
The RSF is a feared paramilitary force that has been accused of widespread human rights abuses in Darfur, including the massacre of civilians, ethnic killings, the use of sexual violence and systematic rape (ref. 4). The sanctions against Dagalo are the first by the US against an individual member of the RSF.

The statement by the DARFUR Union is a strong indication that the international community is taking a more serious approach to the issue of human rights abuses in Darfur. The sanctions against Dagalo are a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to bring those responsible for these abuses to justice.
The union's call to "follow the money of the RSF" is also a significant one. The RSF is believed to be involved in a number of businesses, including gold mining and arms trafficking. By targeting these businesses, the international community can put pressure on the RSF and its leaders to end their abuses.

It is important to note that the recent US sanctions on the RSF are just a first step towards exposing the actors who are supporting the RSF in their war crimes campaign against the population in Darfur. These actors are directly responsible for supplying the RSF with weapons and heavy artillery, as well as buying the gold that is looted from Darfur every day. The international community must work closely to investigate the RSF's connections in Libya and the UAE in order to identify the companies and institutions that are aiding this terrorist organisation.

*Another Video Evidence of Body Desecration: The Case of the Late Khamis Abaker*

The Darfur Union issued a communiqué on August 28th, 2023, entitled "Horrific Videos Show Desecration and Mutilation of Body of Late Khamis Abdel Allah Abaker, Governor of West Darfur, Who Was Killed by RSF (ref. 5)." The communiqué contained a written description of four videos (Exhibits A-D). In addition to these videos, a fifth video has recently surfaced. The following is a written description of this video:

Exhibit E:- This is most brutal and barbaric footage yet emerged. It shows the body of the assassinated Governor of West Darfur, the late Khamis Abdel Allah Abaker, being dragged on the floor. His broken legs are tied with a robe. The body is surrounded by a jubilant crowd of men, children, and women, all of whom are celebrating. Some of them are throwing stones at the body. The body is then hung from a tree using the robe, and the crowd lynches it. This is one of most horrific crime we have seen footage of in recent history. It is believed that the children and women in the video are the family and relatives of the Janjaweed and RSF personnel in West Darfur. The footage surfaced on 6th September 2023, and is believed to have been recorded by on 14th June 2023.

*Latest on Nyala*

The latest round of fighting in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, has forced an estimated hundred and twenty thousands of people to flee their homes. The fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) has been ongoing for months, but it has intensified in recent weeks.
The shelling of residential areas has caused widespread damage and displacement. Many people have sought refuge in camps on the outskirts of the city, where they are living in dire conditions. They lack access to food, water, and shelter. There have also been reports of sexual violence against women and girls.
The RSF has been accused of carrying out a number of human rights abuses in Nyala. In addition to the shelling of residential areas, the RSF has also been accused of carrying out targeted assassinations of civilians, including teachers, activists, and journalists (ref. 6).

The international community has condemned the violence in Nyala and called for an end to the fighting. However, the conflict shows no signs of abating. The people of Darfur continue to suffer, and the situation is only getting worse. A large number of displaced people walked for an estimated 200 kilometers to reach El Fasher, a difficult and exhausting journey.

*The International Community has a Responsibility to Act*

Here are the specific actions that the Union has highlighted in previous statements:

The international community should increase humanitarian assistance to Darfur and East Chad, Adré through the Port Sudan and Douala port, Cameroon. This assistance should include food, water, shelter, and healthcare. The international community has been slow to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and this needs to change. Countries such as the UK, US, and France, as well as aid organisations like Oxfam and Save the Children, should make this a priority.
The leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) should be held accountable for the crimes against humanity and war crimes they have committed against the people of Darfur. This includes Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, Algony Hamdan Dagalo (the CFO of the RSF), and Abdelrahman Juma Barak Allah, RSF commander in West Darfur. The RSF has been responsible for widespread violence and displacement in Darfur, and its leaders must be brought to justice.
Civilians in Darfur need to be protected from the Janjaweed militias. This can be done by empowering the Joint Forces, which are made up of signatories to the peace agreement. The Joint Forces need to be given a clear mandate and the resources they need to protect civilians.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) should be given more support to continue its investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The ICC is the only international court that can prosecute individuals for these crimes, and it is essential that it be allowed to do its work. It is also important to support the ICC on the ongoing cases (Abdelrahman Kushayb, ref. 7) and also to bring to Justice those ICC indictees who are still at large (Omar al-Bashir (ref. 8), Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein (ref. 9) and Ahmed Haroun (ref. 10)).
The fighting groups in Darfur must stop shelling civilian areas. The RSF must also withdraw from occupied neighbourhoods. The UN Security Council must put pressure on all parties to the conflict to end the violence.
The UN Security Council must reactivate Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. This would allow the Security Council to take more robust measures to stop the violence in Darfur. Reactivating Chapter 7 would send a clear message that the international community will not tolerate the continued impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

The Union believes that these actions are necessary to end the war crimes in Darfur and protect the civilian population.

Arabic Forum