The United Kingdom announces the imposition of sanctions on senior leaders of the Rapid Support Forces

Today, the United Kingdom announced the imposition of sanctions on senior leaders of the Rapid Support Forces suspected of committing Horrific acts of violence in El Fasher, Sudan, including mass killings, systematic sexual violence, and deliberate attacks on civilians.
Among those targeted by these sanctions are Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, brother and deputy commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Hemedti, along with three other leaders who are suspected of involvement in these crimes – all of whom now face having their assets frozen and banned from coming to the United Kingdom.

The actions of the Rapid Support Forces In El Fasher, it is not random: it is part of A deliberate strategy to intimidate a population and establish control through fear and violence. The effects of their actions can be seen from space. Pictures of El Fasher taken from space show sand stained with blood, piles of corpses, and evidence of the presence of mass graves in which the bodies of the victims were buried after being burned. These actions must be held accountable, and urgent steps must be taken to prevent them from happening again.

Warning message of accountability

Imposing sanctions on RSF leaders suspected of involvement in mass killings and sexual violence in El Fasher sends a clear message that anyone who commits atrocities will be held accountable for their actions. This reflects the UK’s commitment to preventing further atrocities.

The UK will also allocate an additional £21 to provide a package of urgent support to help communities on the brink, to provide food, clean water and healthcare, as well as Protection for women and children in areas most affected by violence.

This lifeline will enable relief agencies to reach 150,000 people, providing their basic needs such as food, medical care and emergency shelter, as well as maintaining the continuity of services in hospitals, and reuniting families separated by the war. The UK’s aid commitments have risen this year to £146 million, demonstrating our firm commitment to standing with the Sudanese people and meeting humanitarian needs.

Press to end the war

The UK is pressing all parties to end the war and protect civilians, and has repeatedly condemned the violence committed by the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army. Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a UK-led resolution that condemned the atrocities and mobilized international consensus around commissioning an urgent investigation into the atrocities committed in El Fasher.

Our commitment goes beyond diplomacy: the UK provides technical support to international justice and accountability mechanisms, and this year we invested £1.5 million in the ‘Sudan Witness’ project to monitor human rights violations, including attacks on civilians, Verified and documented.

We are also examining the possibility of imposing further sanctions in the context of our efforts to end impunity, and to demonstrate that those who commit atrocities will be held to account.

Deteriorating humanitarian situation

The UK is accelerating its response to the deepening crisis in Sudan – and working decisively to save lives. The humanitarian situation in Sudan is the worst in the world, with 30 million people in dire need of assistance. 12 million others were forced to flee their homes. Famine and avoidable diseases spread.

Also, about 5 million Sudanese refugees fled the country to the region. Some of them face the risk of falling prey to smugglers and smuggling gangs. The UK is providing support to refugees in the region to help discourage them from embarking on dangerous journeys.

We call on all parties to the conflict to allow unhindered passage for humanitarian staff, supplies and trapped civilians.

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