The UK on Thursday imposed new sanctions on six individuals it says are fueling Sudan’s war, including through the recruitment of foreign fighters and financing of military operations.
The designations target leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), both of which have been accused of carrying out systematic attacks on civilians and mass rapes. The measures were announced by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper following a visit to the Sudan–Chad border, where she met with refugees from the conflict.
“Through these sanctions, we will seek to dismantle the war machine of those who perpetrate or profit from the brutal violence in Sudan, and we will send a message to every individual responsible for commanding these armies and committing these atrocities that they will one day be held to account,” she said in a statement.
Those sanctioned include RSF field commander Hussein Barsham, SAF commander Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, director of the UK-sanctioned al-Khaleej Bank Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed, and three individuals accused of recruiting former Colombian military personnel to train and fight for the RSF.
The U.S. previously imposed sanctions on individuals and entities accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight on behalf of the RSF.
Earlier this month, the World Health Organization said that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan was among the worst to date in the 21st century. Nearly 15 million people have been displaced within Sudan, Chad, and other neighboring countries, and more than 21 million people now face acute food insecurity, the UK said.
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