Will the U.S. House of Representatives Designate the RSF as a Terrorist Organization?

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The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss a Sudan-related bill that includes a package of measures aimed at strengthening accountability for violations committed during the ongoing conflict in the country, amid growing calls in Washington for tougher action against the parties to the war.

According to informed sources, the proposed legislation recommends that the U.S. administration consider designating the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) program following an official assessment of the groups activities and conduct. The bill also calls for sanctions against officials in both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, as well as members of their families.

The legislation would require the U.S. administration to identify individuals and entities linked to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, in addition to those responsible for obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians affected by the conflict. It also calls on the U.S. Department of State and relevant agencies to present a clear American strategy for addressing the Sudan crisis and supporting efforts to end the war.

The move comes amid growing attention by the House Foreign Affairs Committee to developments in Sudan over the past two years. The committee and its subcommittees have held a series of hearings on crimes against civilians and widespread human rights violations. One of the most prominent hearings, titled *“Stopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan,”* was held in December 2025 and examined ways to strengthen accountability, protect civilians, and facilitate humanitarian access.

Several influential members of the committee have also supported stronger U.S. sanctions against those responsible for abuses and welcomed the U.S. administration’s determination that atrocities committed in Darfur amounted to genocide, alongside sanctions imposed on RSF leaders and affiliated networks.

Last May, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a bipartisan resolution condemning atrocities committed in Darfur and recognizing acts of genocide against non-Arab communities. The resolution also called for consideration of designating the Rapid Support Forces as a terrorist organization in order to disrupt its sources of support and arms supplies.

The discussion of the new bill is widely viewed as another step in Congress’s efforts to expand sanctions and strengthen pressure mechanisms against the parties to the conflict, as the war continues and Sudan’s humanitarian crisis deepens.