More than 5 million people have been displaced by monthslong conflict in Sudan: UN

The United States imposed sanctions on a Sudanese paramilitary commander Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo for acts of violence and human rights abuses committed by his troops in their monthslong conflict with Sudan’s army.

CAIRO -- The United States imposed sanctions Wednesday on a Sudanese paramilitary commander Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo for acts of violence and human rights abuses committed by his troops in their monthslong conflict with Sudan's army.

In a lengthy statement, the U.S. Treasury said it had sanctioned Abdelrahim — a senior military commander and brother of Mohammed Hamdan Daglo who is the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces— accusing him of leading a group of soldiers responsible for “the massacre of civilians, ethnic killings, and use of sexual violence.”

Sudan plunged into chaos almost five months ago when long-simmering tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the RSF escalated into open warfare.

According to Wednesday's statement, the sanctions will block all U.S. property and entities owned by Abdelrahim.

Wednesday’s sanction is the first targeting an individual and made public by the U.S. since the conflict broke out.

In a parallel statement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the U.S. was also imposing visa restrictions on fellow RSF commander, Abdul Rahman Juma, barring him from entering the country.