LONDON: Sudan’s Defense Minister Gen. Hassan Kabroun on Wednesday called UN sanctions on Rapid Support Forces leaders “long overdue,” but a “step in the right direction.”
“Imposing sanctions on individuals or leaders of the Rapid Support Forces is long overdue. Nevertheless, it remains a step in the right direction,” he said.
“These crimes constitute war crimes, genocide and atrocities of a kind rarely seen across broad stretches of history. There should be far more charges brought forward, with arrest warrants issued not only against senior leadership but also against mid-level commanders operating on the ground — in addition to members of the ‘government of establishment,’ which serves as the political wing of the Rapid Support Forces.
“A new commander has recently joined their ranks within the ‘government of establishment,’ now operating in coordination with the Rapid Support Forces; the forces of Abdelaziz Al-Hilu and Joseph Tuka in Blue Nile.”
The UN Security Council imposed sanctions on four RSF leaders over atrocities in the western Sudanese city of El-Fasher. Among those targeted were RSF deputy commander Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo and Brig. Gen. Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known as “the butcher of El-Fasher.” RSF deputy commander Gedo Hamdan Ahmed and field commander Tijani Ibrahim were also targeted.
