Should the sanctions be enacted, it would mark the first UN measures related to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which began in mid-April last year as a power struggle between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the RSF disrupted a planned transition to civilian governance.
The United States has proposed that an international travel ban and asset freeze be placed on Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed, head of operations for the RSF, and Abdel Rahman Juma Barkalla, the RSF commander in West Darfur, according to diplomats.
The Security Council’s 15-member committee on Sudan sanctions operates by consensus. If there are no objections by Friday afternoon, the sanctions will be imposed. However, members could request additional time to review, put the proposal on hold, or block it entirely.
The conflict in Sudan has led to significant ethnically motivated violence, largely attributed to the RSF, though the RSF denies targeting civilians, blaming rogue elements for the violence.
The United States accuses the warring factions of war crimes, with the RSF and allied militias alleged to have committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
According to the UN, nearly 25 million people—half of Sudan’s population—require humanitarian assistance, famine is imminent, and 10 million people have been displaced, with over 2.2 million seeking refuge in other countries.
The Security Council established its targeted Sudan sanctions regime in 2005 to address the conflict in Darfur, adding three individuals to the sanctions list in 2006. An arms embargo on Darfur was also imposed in 2004.
In the early 2000s, the UN estimated that 300,000 people were killed in Darfur when “Janjaweed” militias, which later evolved into the RSF, assisted the army in suppressing a rebellion by primarily non-Arab groups. Former Sudanese leaders are sought by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity.
