The United
States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on the younger brother of the head of
Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, accusing him of leading the paramilitary group's
procurement of weapons and extending the country's civil war.
Why it’s
important
Fighting that
broke out between the RSF and Sudan's army in April 2023 has displaced millions
and led to the spread
of famine and disease among Sudan's people.
Algoney
Hamdan Daglo Musa, hit with the latest U.S.
Treasury Department sanctions on Sudanese actors, is the younger brother of
RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
Washington
has so far resisted calls to sanction Hemedti directly over allegations that
the RSF has committed human rights violations, including in the Darfur region.
The Treasury
said in a statement that Algoney's actions supplying the RSF had contributed to
the ongoing siege and humanitarian crisis in al-Fashir in North Darfur.
U.S.-mediated
talks in Geneva in September failed
to achieve progress toward a ceasefire, but did secure promises from the
warring parties to improve aid access.
Algoney was
part of the RSF delegation to the talks, he told the New York Times in an
interview.
The U.S. last
year targeted
another of Hemedti's brothers, RSF military figure Abdelrahim Dagalo, with
sanctions.
The Treasury
said Algoney is close to Hemedti, having worked as his personal secretary, and
has controlled front companies used for RSF procurement.
Those include
Tradive General Trading, a company already sanctioned by Washington that is
based in the United Arab Emirates.
“At a time
when the United States, the United Nations, the African Union, and others are
advocating for peace, key individuals on both sides — including Algoney Hamdan
Daglo Musa – continue to procure weapons to facilitate attacks and other
atrocities against their own citizens,” said Bradley Smith, the Treasury's
acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
“The United
States will continue to hold accountable those who seek to prolong this
conflict and restrict access to vital humanitarian assistance at a time of
famine and fragility.”