The United States has imposed sanctions on a senior leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for his involvement in arming the 17-month-long brutal war that has claimed over 20,000 lives. Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, who controls Tradive General Trading LLC based in the UAE, has been identified as the key figure responsible for supplying weapons to the conflict.
The US Department of Treasury disclosed that Musa imported vehicles to Sudan through his company on behalf of the RSF and equipped them with machine guns. Notably, Musa is the brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict, which began in April 2023 in Khartoum before spreading throughout Sudan, has caused widespread devastation.
Treasury officials stated that Musa’s actions have directly contributed to the RSF’s siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. Despite global calls for peace, individuals like Musa persist in procuring weapons to facilitate attacks on their own people, according to Bradely T. Smith, the acting undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.
Sanctions against Musa entail a freeze on all his US-based properties and interests under the control of US citizens, requiring reporting to the Treasury Department. Additionally, any entities directly or indirectly owned by him will also face sanctions. Last year, visa restrictions were imposed on officials from the Sudanese army and the RSF, and the White House announced plans to sanction defence companies implicated in perpetuating violence in Sudan.
The conflict has displaced more than 13 million people and witnessed appalling atrocities like mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, deemed as war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United Nations and international human rights organisations. The situation remains dire as efforts to restore peace continue amidst ongoing violence and suffering in Sudan.