UK sanctions four senior RSF commanders over atrocities in Sudan

The United Kingdom has sanctioned four commanders of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) suspected of atrocities in the city of El Fasher, the country said on Friday.

The people targeted include Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy leader of the RSF and brother of the group’s chief commander General Hemedti. The European Union already sanctioned him in November.

The UK has also placed sanctions on three other senior officers: Gedo Hamdan Ahmed, the RSF commander for North Darfur, Brigadier-General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris and Field Commander Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed. They all face asset freezes and travel bans.

“Today’s sanctions against RSF commanders strike directly at those with blood on their hands," said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

The commanders are accused of having committed mass killings, sexual violence, and deliberate attacks on civilians in El Fasher.

The city was the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in Darfur until the RSF seized it in October after an 18-month siege.

Health workers, NGOs and survivors quickly reported massacres and atrocities perpetrated by the paramilitary group.

The UK said the RSF's actions "are part of a deliberate strategy to terrorise populations and seize control through fear and violence."

The British government also announced a £21 million humanitarian aid package, and called on all parties to end the war in Sudan and protect civilians.

But the UK did not issue sanctions against the United Arab Emirates, which has long been accused of providing support to the RSF.