Washington has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing atrocities against civilians in Sudan and called for an immediate halt to the flow of arms to the paramilitary group. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that the RSF is responsible for the escalating violence in the country and is failing to uphold its commitments.
“What’s happening there is horrific,” Rubio told reporters following a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada on Wednesday. He placed blame squarely on the RSF, which has been engaged in a conflict with the Sudanese army since April 2023 and recently seized control of the strategically important city of El Fasher in the Darfur region.
Rubio emphasized the need to cut off the RSF’s supply lines. “I think the fundamental problem we have is the RSF agrees to things and then doesn’t follow through… I think something has to be done to cut off the arms and the support that the RSF is receiving as they continue to make advances,” he stated.
The Secretary of State pointed out that the RSF relies on external funding and support due to its lack of domestic arms manufacturing capabilities. He suggested that this support originates “from certain countries, and we know who they are, and we’re going to talk to them about that and make them understand that it’s going to reflect poorly on them and on the world if we can’t stop what’s happening.” Rubio declined to specify which countries he was referring to when questioned about the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which the Sudanese army has accused of providing weapons and mercenaries to the RSF through various African nations. Abu Dhabi has repeatedly denied these allegations.
The United Nations has also weighed in on the crisis. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan and a halt to the influx of weapons and fighters from external parties. “I am deeply alarmed by recent reports of mass atrocities and grave human rights violations in El Fasher, and the escalating violence in Kordofan. The flow of arms and fighters from outside parties must stop, and the flow of humanitarian aid must be enabled to reach civilians in need swiftly, and hostilities must cease,” Guterres stated.
He further urged the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to cooperate with his personal envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, and to take swift and concrete steps toward a negotiated settlement.
