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Al-Ahram Weekly
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Accusations of chemical weapons in Sudan: What we know - War in Sudan
The US State Department imposed sanctions on the Sudanese government Friday, accusing it of using chemical weapons last year in its war against rival paramilitaries. Since April 2023, the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has drawn widespread accusations of war crimes, with the US determining in January that the RSF had committed genocide. Sanctions The State Department in May notified Congress of its determination that "the Government of Sudan used chemical weapons in 2024", in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Khartoum ratified in 1999. Washington did not provide details on where or when the chemical attacks occurred. Sudan's army-aligned government immediately denied the US allegations, calling them "baseless" and "political blackmail". Washington's sanctions, initially intended to go into effect on June 6, restrict US exports and financing. Urgent humanitarian aid will be exempted from the sanctions on Sudan, where nearly 25 million people are suffering dire food insecurity in the world's largest hunger crisis. History of accusations In January, the New York Times reported the Sudanese army had used chemical weapons at least twice in the war, citing four anonymous senior US officials. They said the chemical agent used, with the direct approval of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was chlorine. The army, which has been in control of Sudan for most of its post-independence history since 1956, has been accused of carrying out chemical attacks before. In 2016, an Amnesty International investigation accused the army -- then allied with the RSF -- of using chemical weapons on civilians in the western region of Darfur. Khartoum denied the accusations. In 1998, the US claimed the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum was producing chemical components for Al-Qaeda, before destroying the factory in a missile attack. Past sanctions Relations between the US and Sudan were strained for decades under the rule of Omar al-Bashir, who came to power in 1993 and whose Islamist-military rule was long accused of supporting terrorism. US sanctions imposed in the early 1990s were tightened in 2006 following accusations of genocide in the Darfur region, carried out on behalf of Khartoum by the RSF's predecessor militia, the Janjaweed. After a popular uprising ousted Bashir in 2019, the US removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and began to lift sanctions. Some were reintroduced following a 2021 coup, led by Burhan alongside his then-deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, before the allies' power struggle erupted into all-out war in April 2023. By January 2025, the US had imposed sanctions on both Burhan and Daglo, who is commonly known as Hemeti. Efforts at mediation, including by the Biden administration, have repeatedly failed to produce a ceasefire. Expected impact Sudanese civilians have long borne the brunt of sanctions on their country. Both Burhan and Hemeti's camps built considerable wealth while under a decades-long sanctions regime, finessing transnational financial networks while the country was left underdeveloped. Today, Africa's third-largest country is suffering what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with over 10 million people internally displaced and famine already declared in parts of the country. The US was Sudan's largest donor in 2024, contributing 44.4 per cent of the UN's $2 billion-humanitarian response plan. Following US President Donald Trump's suspension of most foreign aid, the US has dropped its contribution by nearly 80 per cent. US exports were valued at $56.6 million in 2024, according to data from the US Census Bureau. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Middle East Eye
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK police handed dossier of war crimes committed by RSF in Sudan
A dossier of evidence documenting war crimes committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan has been handed to British police. A 142-page file was handed to the Metropolitan Police's war crimes unit, documenting killings, torture and sexual violence committed by the RSF during Sudan's ongoing civil war, the Guardian reported on Monday. It was compiled by a London-based group of lawyers with a specialism in international law and directed to SO15, the Met's counterterrorism unit. The RSF has been at war with the Sudanese army since April 2023. The conflict has killed thousands, displaced more than 10 million people and left over 12 million facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Last year an independent enquiry carried out by the Raoul Wallenberg Centre found that there is 'clear and convincing evidence' that the RSF and its allied militias 'have committed and are committing genocide against the Masalit', a Black African community. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters West Darfur state was the site of intense ethnic-based attacks by the RSF and its allied Arab militias against the Masalit in 2023. The United States has also accused the RSF of genocide, and sanctioned its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo - widely known as Hemeti - for his role in "systematic atrocities". The dossier submitted to the Met police stated: 'Direct and circumstantial evidence makes it clear that the RSF leadership either knew, or at least should have known, that the war crimes were being committed by the RSF in Darfur. Therefore, they have a case to answer under international criminal and humanitarian law.' Howard Morrison, a former judge at the International Criminal Court, lent his support to the submission. 'A novel approach' 'The novel approach through the highly regarded offices of SO15 adds great impetus to the potential accountability of those responsible for the atrocities that have been visited upon numerous victims in Darfur,' Morrison said. Lucia Brieskova, the lead lawyer, said: "We believe this submission will contribute to the fight against impunity suffered by many in Darfur in Sudan." In the coming days, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will decide whether it has jurisdiction in a case brought by Sudan's government accusing the United Arab Emirates of complicity in genocide. Khartoum says that the UAE has violated the Genocide Convention through financial and military support of the RSF. The UAE denies aiding the paramilitary group, and believes that the ICJ does not have jurisdiction in the case due to the Gulf state's opting out of Article Nine of the Genocide Convention. Sudan's government accuses the RSF and allied militias of perpetrating genocide, murder, theft, rape and forcible displacement. A recent report by Amnesty International found that the RSF had inflicted widespread sexual violence on women and girls during the country's ongoing civil war, including rape, gang-rape, and sexual slavery. Middle East Eye has reported previously on how women across the Darfur region - some as young as 12 - have been the victims of sexual assault perpetrated by men wearing RSF uniforms. Last year, a report by the UN's independent international fact-finding mission for Sudan found that both warring parties had committed a range of war crimes.
Middle East Eye
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Activists call for UAE boycott over its backing for the RSF in Sudan
As the United Arab Emirates' involvement in the war in Sudan is increasingly scrutinised, Sudanese diaspora-led groups are calling for consumer boycotts against the Gulf state, accusing it of fuelling the conflict and complicity in genocide. Journalists, human rights groups and UN experts have increasingly uncovered the role of the UAE in materially backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that has a record of sexual violence, war crimes and ethnically motivated killings. Experts and human rights organisations have also uncovered the UAE's widespread access to land, minerals and livestock in Sudan, enabled by its relationship with the RSF. The United States has accused the RSF of committing genocide in the western region of Darfur and sanctioned its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti. Earlier this month, the Sudanese government took the UAE to the International Court of Justice, accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention. The UAE denies it provides the RSF with weapons and other means of support. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Nas Al Sudan, an organisation that leads advocacy work and mutual aid campaigns, notes that the UAE's involvement in the war and its extraction of resources in Sudan is an issue that has plagued the country and region in recent years. 'I think that it's one that's very much played out throughout Africa. Sudan and Sudanese people in general have known for years that their resources are not kept within the nation,' an activist from the group, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Middle East Eye. However, the activist added that the boycott strategy has become more prominent as the conflict has worsened, emerging at 'grassroots and ad hoc' bases. Much of this, they explained, has to do with the fact that at the beginning of the war in April 2023, when the RSF and Sudanese army began fighting over plans to merge the paramilitaries into the military, Sudanese diaspora groups were more occupied with questions like 'how do I get my family out? How do I make sure that people are safe?' Two years into the conflict, which has killed thousands and displaced over 12.5 million Sudanese, boycott calls are mounting, although activists face ongoing challenges. Tasneem and Rania, activists who asked for their surnames to not be mentioned for safety reasons, work with London for Sudan and Madaniya, youth-led groups leading advocacy and community support for Sudanese communities in the UK. 'Sudan and Sudanese people in general have known for years that their resources are not kept within the nation' - Nas Al Sudan activist One notable campaign they work on is Action for Sudan, which calls for Arsenal Football Club to end its sponsorship deal with Emirates, the Dubai airline. Their work includes going to football matches and talking to people who have purchased season tickets for years, 'but may not know the implications of what their money is going to'. Activists have also called for the UAE's gold exports to be targeted. The UAE is the world's second-largest exporter of gold, much of which is believed to have been extracted from Sudan, where several mines are controlled by the RSF. 'That's the trade-off of being supplied the weapons,' Rania told MEE. The campaigners also focus on travel, calling for boycotts of Emirati airlines such as Fly Dubai, Emirates and Etihad. The Macklemore effect Ghaida Hamdun, a founder of the Instagram-based For Sudanese Liberation, recently launched the Defund the UAE (DFUAE) initiative. She told MEE a major target of the campaign is making sure that people are 'just not going' to the UAE, a popular tourism and business destination. Hamdun was amongst the activists who campaigned extensively on social media to pressure rapper Macklemore to cancel his Dubai show last year. The American musician, who has been vocal in his support for Palestine since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, cancelled his concert in August 'in solidarity with the people of Sudan and to boycott doing business in the UAE'. His widely read social media statement was edited by Sudanese activists, including Hamdun. 'At the moment there was a lot of hype,' Hamdun said. However, despite what she described as a 'domino effect' of increased awareness on social media, she added that 'with things like this, it's like people kind of forget and move on'. 'Luxury hub' of the Middle East Part of what makes the boycott campaign work so challenging, Hamdun explained, has to do with the perception of the UAE as the 'luxury hub of the Middle East'. 'It's become quite a big thing for people to put Dubai on a pedestal,' Tasneem added. She said that people are unwilling to engage with 'the tangible effects of allowing the UAE to build its stature in that way'. This image, Rania noted, is met with a sense of 'denialism' and an uneasiness around boycotting a non-western country, which is why 'people feel really uncomfortable when I bring up what the UAE is doing'. UAE: Rapper Macklemore cancels concert over Emirati support for Sudan's RSF Read More » On 10 April, Sudan laid out its oral arguments in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), formally accusing the UAE of complicity in genocide. Tasneem described the move as a 'step in the right direction' but pointed to the limitations of international law. In January 2024, the ICJ ruled that Israel was plausibly conducting genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and issued several orders aimed at limiting its onslaught on the enclave. And in July, the world's top court also ruled that occupation of Palestinian territories was unlawful and that its 'near-complete separation' of people in the occupied West Bank breached international laws concerning 'racial segregation' and 'apartheid'. 'What has been the tangible effect for the Palestinians who are in Gaza, who are in the West Bank?' Tasneem asked. Despite this, Rania said that she hoped that the awareness generated by the ICJ case can have an effect on normal people, as their understanding of the UAE's role in the war increases. A 'proxy war' Ultimately, activists say that one of the primary hurdles to gaining sufficient support comes down to the framing of the issue. Hamdun said Sudan is ignored is because it is 'painted as a civil war' by the media and public eye. 'This is a proxy war. This is a war that is funded by outside forces and that would not be able to continue to this extent without those forces,' she said. Sudanese are also affected by racist attitudes in the West. 'There's unfortunately some sort of 'this is Africa' mentality, that this is 'just poor African people dying',' Rania said. According to the the activist with Nas Al Sudan, a 'mindset shift' is needed for the call for boycotts to work. 'If people don't care about the level of death and destruction, they are never going to care about what their level of complicity is.' They added that Sudanese people are largely left to organise for themselves, risking retaliation and a lack of support. 'Maybe if you were to see other groups of people who are not Sudanese advocating alongside Sudanese people, you'd probably see a much stronger reaction to the boycott movement,' they said.
Al Bawaba
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Dozens killed in intensified clashes between the Sudanese army and RSF in El Fasher
ALBAWABA- Sudan's conflict took a deadly turn this week as violent clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in several regions, most notably in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. At least 62 civilians were killed, including 15 children and 17 women, following intense RSF shelling on the city, according to a statement by the 6th Infantry Division. In response, the Sudanese army announced it had killed 70 RSF fighters, including several commanders, and wounded dozens more while repelling the RSF assault. Many RSF combatants reportedly fled the scene. The escalation comes just days after RSF forces stormed and claimed control of the Zamzam camp for displaced civilians. El Fasher, a major urban center in Darfur still outside RSF control, has become a focal point of the group's military campaign. The humanitarian toll is worsening by the hour, as thousands flee the city on foot, facing extreme hunger and thirst amid the ongoing siege. Meanwhile, dozens of RSF fighters were reportedly killed in separate confrontations west of Omdurman. In a significant political shift, the Sudanese government announced it would allow diplomatic missions and international organizations to resume operations in Khartoum, claiming the capital had been 'cleared of the terrorist RSF militia.' Also Read Dozens killed since morning in continued Israeli assaults on Gaza The Sudanese government has allowed diplomatic missions and international and regional organizations accredited in #Sudan to re-establish their HQ in Khartoum, after the capital was cleared of the terrorist #RSF militia. — Sudan News (@Sudan_tweet) April 20, 2025 In a legal development that may signal a turning point, the Terrorism Court in Port Sudan has begun proceedings against 16 defendants, including RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti). The charges include the assassination of the governor of West Darfur, marking the beginning of what could be a broader accountability process.
Middle East Eye
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Kenya's former vice president calls for Ruto to be sanctioned over Sudan war
The former deputy leader of Kenya has called for William Ruto, the country's president, to be sanctioned internationally for allowing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries in Sudan to launder money from gold through Nairobi. Rigathi Gachagua was vice president of Kenya from September 2022 until October last year, when he was impeached after falling out with Ruto. During an interview with KTN News this week, he alleged widespread Kenyan complicity in crimes committed during Sudan's war. Gachagua said that when RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo - widely known as Hemeti - was de facto deputy leader of Sudan, Ruto sought to invite him to Kenya. As Hemeti was not a head of state, but a deputy, Ruto could not directly send out the invitation. Gachagua had to extend the invitation, which he did. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Later on, I realised they are doing business,' said Gachagua. 'After some time, it became clear to me that the international community had placed international sanctions against Hemeti because of genocide, killing women, displacing people, and other crimes against humanity.' So when Ruto called on his deputy to once again invite Hemeti, Gachagua refused. 'I told him, 'Mr President, this is a butcher of women and children. He is using our country through your friendship to bring gold from Sudan, clean it in Nairobi, take it to the Middle East, use the funds to buy arms to go and kill people in Sudan',' he said. Sudan crisis: How a parallel RSF government could destroy the nation Read More » As a father and as a Christian, Gachagua stated, he could not comply. An independent inquiry last year found that there was 'clear and convincing evidence' that the RSF and its allied militias 'have committed and are committing genocide against the Masalit', a Black African group in the country. The US also determined that the RSF was perpetrating genocide in Sudan, and sanctioned Hemeti for his role in 'systematic atrocities'. Gachagua said his signature was later forged in an attempt to bring Hemeti to Kenya. When the vice president threatened that he would publicly 'disown' the invitation if Hemeti landed in the country, the visit was halted. After that moment, relations rapidly soured between Ruto and Gachagua. 'The real commander of RSF is William Ruto because for a movement to succeed, it needs money,' said Gachagua. 'The money from gold is being cleaned through Kenya to buy arms to go and kill women and children.' 'Sanction Ruto to stop Sudan war' In February, Kenya hosted a conference that saw the RSF launch a parallel government in the areas it controls. The Sudanese foreign ministry described Kenya's move as a direct intervention in the affairs of another country and a violation of diplomatic norms and the African Union charter. Sudan subsequently suspended all imports from Kenya in protest, describing Nairobi's actions as "tantamount to an act of hostility". 'I want to tell the international community, it is pointless to lay the sanctions against Hemeti. The person they need to levy sanctions against is William Ruto,' said Gachagua. Sudan tells ICJ that UAE is complicit in genocide Read More » 'Sudan will be sorted out because if there are sanctions against William Ruto, he'll stop entertaining Hemeti. 'Gold will stop being processed in Nairobi. There will be no money to buy arms to go and kill children.' In January, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on AZ Gold, a UAE-based gold purchasing company. 'AZ Gold has purchased gold from Sudan, presumably for the benefit of the RSF, and subsequently transported it to Dubai,' the sanctions notice stated. Algoney Hamdan Dagalo, one of Hemeti's brothers, 'maintained access to AZ Gold's bank account in the UAE, which held millions of dollars', according to the US Treasury. Sudan's army-aligned government has accused Ruto of dealing commercially with the RSF. 'It is unfortunate that the Kenyan president has placed his personal and commercial interests with the militia's regional sponsors and the militia's leadership above the historical relations between the two brotherly countries,' the Sudanese foreign ministry said, likely referencing the UAE. On Thursday, Sudan accused the UAE of complicity in genocide at a hearing before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
