The United States has imposed sanctions on Abdelrahim Dagalo, the deputy leader of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), for his involvement in human rights abuses, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Wednesday.

Abdelrahim Dagalo, who is the brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (widely known as Hemedti), is the highest profile RSF figure to be sanctioned since a conflict erupted between the powerful paramilitary group and the Sudanese army in mid-April. Dagalo is also the first official to be sanctioned on either of the warring sides.

CNN was the first international media organization to expose the RSF as being behind mass atrocities in Darfur including the torching of towns and villages, widespread sexual assault and arbitrary killings. It released a series of investigations that uncovered RSF massacres and other human rights abuses, and exposed arms supplies from Russian mercenary group Wagner.

The sanctions also a growing chorus of criticism from Sudanese activists against the US for not sanctioning Hemedti, despite mounting evidence of wrongdoing and violations by his forces.

Blinken said in the statement sanctions were imposed on Abdelrahim Dagalo for his connection to the RSF, "whose members have committed human rights abuses against civilians in Sudan, to include conflict-related sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity."

"We will not hesitate to use the tools at our disposal to hinder the ability of the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to further prolong this war, and we will also use such tools to deter any actor from undermining the Sudanese people's aspiration for peace and civilian, democratic rule," he added.