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Israel, Morocco, US Sign Joint Declaration

US Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and his accompanying delegation visiting the tomb of the late kings Mohammed V and Hassan II in Rabat (MAP)
US Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and his accompanying delegation visiting the tomb of the late kings Mohammed V and Hassan II in Rabat (MAP)
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Israel, Morocco, US Sign Joint Declaration

US Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and his accompanying delegation visiting the tomb of the late kings Mohammed V and Hassan II in Rabat (MAP)
US Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and his accompanying delegation visiting the tomb of the late kings Mohammed V and Hassan II in Rabat (MAP)

King Mohammed VI received on Tuesday US Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, who is of Moroccan origins, at Rabat’s Royal Palace, according to a Royal Cabinet statement.

The US-Israel high-level delegation also included US Special Representative for International Negotiations Avrahm Berkowitz.

Kushner and the Israeli delegation arrived in the Kingdom onboard the first direct flight between Israel and Morocco since the two countries agreed to establish diplomatic relations under a US-brokered deal earlier this month.

Morocco’s King reiterated full satisfaction with the phonecall he held with US President Donald Trump on December 10. The date marks the US’ decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

During the call, King Mohammed VI announced Morocco’s decision to re-establish official diplomatic relations with Israel.

The measures include the promotion of a cooperative dynamic and innovative bilateral economy and plans to reopen liaison offices in Rabat and Tel Aviv.

During the meeting, King Mohammed VI congratulated Kushner for the “substantial work accomplished since his visit to Morocco in May 2018, which made it possible to achieve this historic turning point in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity,” and for his efforts to ensure regional peace in the Middle East.

King Mohammed VI also spoke to Meir Ben-Shabbat on the special ties with the Moroccan Jewish community.

The Royal Cabinet statement also said that the meeting between the King, Ben-Shabbat, and Kushner served as an opportunity to reaffirm that the states will fully implement all decisions and measures announced during King Mohammed VI’s December 10 phone call with Trump.

The cabinet concluded the statement by reiterating Morocco’s position regarding the Palestinian cause. Morocco considers that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can only come to an end through negotiations between Israel and Palestine that lead to a two-state solution to ensure peace and security.

At the end of the meeting, Israel, Morocco, and the US signed a joint declaration.

Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani signed the document with Jared Kushner and Meir Ben-Shabbat.

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US Determines Sudan's RSF Committed Genocide, Imposes Sanctions on Leader

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
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US Determines Sudan's RSF Committed Genocide, Imposes Sanctions on Leader

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, attends a meeting of representatives of the tripartite mechanism in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on June 8, 2022. (AFP)

The United States determined on Tuesday that members of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias committed genocide in Sudan and it imposed sanctions on the group's leader over a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.

The moves deal a blow to the RSF's attempts to burnish its image and assert legitimacy - including by installing a civilian government- as the paramilitary group seeks to expand its territory beyond the roughly half of the country it currently controls.

The RSF rejected the measures.

"America previously punished the great African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, which was wrong. Today, it is rewarding those who started the war by punishing (RSF leader) General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, which is also wrong," said an RSF spokesman when reached for comment.

The war in Sudan has produced waves of ethnically driven violence blamed largely on the RSF. It has also carried out mass looting campaigns across swathes of the country, arbitrarily killing and sexually assaulting civilians in the process.

The RSF denies harming civilians and attributes the activity to rogue actors it says it is trying to control.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement the RSF and aligned militias had continued to direct attacks against civilians, adding they had systematically murdered men and boys on an ethnic basis and had deliberately targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The militias have also targeted fleeing civilians and murdered innocent people escaping conflict, Blinken said.

"The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities," Blinken said.

Washington announced sanctions on the leader of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, barring him and his family from travelling to the US and freezing any US assets he might hold. Financial institutions and others that engage in certain activity with him also risk being hit with sanctions themselves.

It had previously sanctioned other leaders, as well as army officials, but had not sanctioned Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as attempts to bring the two sides to talks continued.

Such attempts have stalled in recent months.

"As the overall commander of the RSF, Hemedti bears command responsibility for the abhorrent and illegal actions of his forces," the Treasury said.

Sudan's army and RSF have been fighting for almost two years, creating a humanitarian crisis in which UN agencies struggle to deliver relief. More than half of Sudan's population faces hunger, and famine has been declared in several areas.

The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the army and RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule.

Blinken said in the statement that "both belligerents bear responsibility for the violence and suffering in Sudan and lack the legitimacy to govern a future peaceful Sudan."

The US has sanctioned army leaders as well as individuals and entities linked to financing its weapons procurement. Last year, Blinken accused the RSF and the army, which has carried out numerous indiscriminate air strikes, of war crimes.