Washington imposes sanctions on "Hemedti" and 7 companies based in the UAE

The US Treasury Department announced on Tuesday the imposition of sanctions on the commander of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), in addition to an individual and seven companies based in the United Arab Emirates.

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a statement that it had imposed sanctions on Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Musa (Hemedti), under Executive Order 14098, "Imposing sanctions on certain persons who are destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition."

The statement added that for nearly two years, Hemedti's Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in a brutal armed conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces to control Sudan, killing tens of thousands, displacing 12 million Sudanese, and causing widespread famine.

“The United States continues to call for an end to this conflict that is putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. “Treasury remains committed to using every tool available to hold accountable those responsible for violating the human rights of the Sudanese people.”

The statement explained that the Rapid Support Forces, under the command of Hemeti and through its campaign in Darfur, Al-Jazeera and other combat areas, committed a long list of documented war crimes and atrocities, including ethnically motivated killings and sexual violence as a weapon of war.

He pointed out that as the commander-in-chief of the Rapid Support Forces, Hemeti bears command responsibility for the heinous and illegal acts committed by his forces.

The sanctions also included seven UAE-based companies, including Capital Tap, accusing them of providing money and military equipment to the Rapid Support Forces, under the command of Sudanese national Abu Dhar Abdul Nabi Habib Allah Ahmed (Abu Dhar).

Among the companies targeted by US sanctions are Creative Python Limited, Emerald and Ruby Gold and Jewelry Company, and Next Generation General Trading Company.

In the first official comment on the new sanctions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington imposed them on the commander of the Rapid Support Forces "for his role in the systematic atrocities committed against the Sudanese people."

He added that "elements of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias have committed crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in Sudan," stressing that the United States "is committed to holding accountable those responsible for the atrocities committed in Sudan."

Blinken pointed out that the current sanctions are part of Washington's efforts to promote accountability for all warring parties whose actions fuel the conflict, according to his expression.

Last November, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on another leader in the Rapid Support Forces, Abdel Rahman Juma Barakallah, on charges of committing violations against civilians in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

In September, a UN Security Council committee imposed sanctions on two RSF commanders for allegedly destabilizing the country through violence and human rights abuses.

The 15-member Security Council Sanctions Committee on Sudan approved a US proposal in late August 2024 to impose a travel ban and asset freeze on the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed, and Abdel Rahman Juma Barakallah.

Source: Agencies