Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on continued violence in Sudan, and the U.S. sanctions announced by the Treasury Department last week on the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): 

“I welcome the U.S. sanctions announced by the Biden Administration last week against SAF leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan for his role in commanding forces that have weaponized starvation, systematically obstructed the flow of humanitarian assistance, tortured detainees, and attacked civilians and civilian infrastructure in shelling and airstrikes. Coming on the heels of the former Administration’s January 7 determination of genocide by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and related sanctions, these actions are critical to deter the grave abuses that persist in Sudan. I urge the Trump Administration to place an early emphasis on addressing the terrible conflict in Sudan, including by holding accountable the SAF and RSF soldiers and commanders responsible for devising and carrying out these actions. 

"The Sudanese warring parties’ ongoing commission of war crimes and atrocities have contributed to the staggering death toll and suffering in Sudan over the last 22 months. In Wad Madani, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had been implicated in mass killings and other abuses during its occupation, SAF soldiers and allied militias, who recently retook the territory, appear to have conducted brutal, ethnically-targeted reprisal attacks, including summary executions and human rights violations against civilians they accused of collaborating with the RSF.   

“The RSF continues to perpetrate attacks, as recently as this week, reportedly against civilians in Gezira state and through shelling of a displaced persons camp in El Fasher, North Darfur. I am also deeply concerned by recent reports the SAF may have used chemical weapons. I call on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to conduct a swift and thorough investigation of these allegations and on the SAF to cooperate fully in those efforts. 

“We must continue to stand with the Sudanese people—who have clearly articulated the need for peace and their desire for genuine democratic governance—and ensure strategic, sustained U.S. engagement to end this brutal conflict. As the 119th Congress gets underway, I pledge to work with congressional colleagues, including by reintroducing my comprehensive legislation—the U.S. Engagement in Sudanese Peace Act—to help deliver accountability for atrocities and ensure that Sudan remains a priority.” 

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