Washington sanctions two Sudan’s RSF leaders over Darfur operations

The United States has imposed sanctions on two leaders of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fighting with the country's army, for their role in operations in Darfur. The United States is imposing sanctions on two Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders, Ali Yagoub Gibril and Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed for their role leading RSF operations in Darfur, Matthew Miller, spokesman for US Department of State, said in a statement Wednesday. The RSF military operation to encircle and besiege El Fasher, North Darfur, has endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, he added. Attacks by the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied forces have caused civilian casualties and must immediately cease, as should the external support for warring parties, he stressed. All impediments to humanitarian access - at a time when millions are at risk of starvation due to conflict - must be removed, he noted. The Sudanese people demand and deserve peace and a return to civilian government. The United States will continue to use the tools at its disposal to support the peace process and impose costs on those perpetuating the conflict, he pointed out. "We stand ready to take additional measures against those individuals and institutions that actively escalate the war - including any offensive actions on El Fasher - commit atrocities, or create barriers to humanitarian access, in violation of international humanitarian law and commitments made in the Jeddah Declaration," Miller said. Source: Kuwait News Agency