On behalf of the millions of Sudanese who are currently facing intense conflict between the RSF and SAF, the Sudanese community sincerely asks United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. 

It is time for the United States to take the stand in recognizing that the RSF is not a legitimate political actor in Sudan's affairs. General Dagalo has deceived Secretary Blinken and the International Community time and time again by promising democracy in Sudan while ordering bloodthirsty campaigns of terror in order to achieve power.

The RSF was formed by the deposed Sudanese dictator and war criminal Omar al-Bashir as an outgrowth of the notorious Janjaweed, a genocidal militia group that has been condemned by various human rights groups and the United Nations for engaging in crimes against humanity in Darfur. They have committed genocide, pillaged entire communities, and kidnapped foreign nationals.

The statutory criteria for the Rapid Support Forces to be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization as defined by Section 212 (a)(3)(B) of the INA (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)) are overwhelmingly realized. RSF has historically targeted certain ethnic groups for persecution in Sudan's Darfur region and actively coordinates acts of terror to intimidate their opponents.

Furthermore, the RSF was implicated in crushing the June 3rd, 2019 civilian sit-in at the army headquarters. They have since been engaging in the same tactics of kidnapping, torture, extortion, looting, and conspiracy to commit acts of terror in order to hold power during Sudan's dire political transition. Most recently, the RSF attacked a diplomatic convoy in Khartoum that was flying US flags and assaulted a EU ambassador in his residence.

Again, the Sudanese community sincerely calls for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate the Rapid Support Forces as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The continued validation of the RSF as a political actor in Sudan by the United States has led to country-wide violence by the hands of this insurgent group. Designating the RSF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization would significantly deprive the RSF of undeserved power and influence and would be a major step towards promoting peace and democracy in Sudan.