UK hits RSF commanders with sanctions over Sudan atrocities

Britain sanctioned senior commanders of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Friday, over what it said were their links to mass killings, systematic sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians in the African country.

Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF Deputy Leader and brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as well as three other commanders that are suspected of involvement in these crimes, now face asset freezes and travel bans, the British government said.

"The atrocities taking place in Sudan are so horrific they scar the conscience of the world," foreign minister Yvette Cooper said in the statement. "Today’s sanctions against RSF commanders strike directly at those with blood on their hands."

The government also pledged a further 21 million pounds to provide food, shelter, health services, and protection for women and children in some of the hardest-to-reach areas, the statement said.

The move comes after the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia earlier in November proposed a plan for a three-month truce followed by peace talks. The RSF responded by saying it had accepted the plan, but soon after attacked army territory with a barrage of drone strikes.

Millions of people have been displaced by the war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF.