The United Nations has placed new sanctions on four top officers of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, holding them accountable for widespread atrocities in the western city of el Fasher.
The move comes amid growing international concern over human rights violations linked to Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict.
The sanctioned officials include RSF deputy commander Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, and Brigadier General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, commonly called Abu Lulu, who earned the title “Butcher of el Fasher” due to his direct role in the attacks. The other leaders listed are RSF deputy commander Gedo Hamdan Ahmed and field commander Tijani Ibrahim.
Their actions during the RSF’s violent capture of el Fasher in October have drawn global condemnation.
A recent UN investigative report concluded that the assault exhibited characteristics of genocide. While the RSF admits that “violations” occurred, it maintains that the scale of the abuses has been overstated by critics.
The UN said Dagalo, brother to RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemedti, personally supervised operations during the takeover. The mission detailed atrocities under his command, including mass killings and ethnically targeted executions.
This is Dagalo’s fourth round of sanctions, following earlier measures by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. In September 2023, the US sanctioned him, and last week extended penalties to the three other commanders for their role in “ethnic killings, torture, starvation and sexual violence.” Britain had imposed sanctions on all four in December.
The UN has not specified the exact nature of its current restrictions, but it has the authority to implement measures such as freezing assets and restricting travel.
The Sentry, a US-based investigative organization targeting financial networks linked to armed conflict, welcomed the coordinated sanctions but stressed that additional steps are needed to impose meaningful financial consequences on the RSF and its support systems.
Sudan’s conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has escalated into what the UN describes as a “war of atrocities.” The fighting between the RSF and the army has left tens of thousands dead and created the world’s worst crisis of hunger and displacement.
RSF forces spent 18 months laying siege to el Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, before finally taking control of the city on 26 October.
The UN described the three-day assault as “three days of horror,” marked by executions, sexual violence, and mass detention, mainly targeting the Zaghawa ethnic group. Abu Lulu gained notoriety for posting graphic videos during the attacks, showing him giving orders to kill civilians and later claiming responsibility for over 2,000 deaths.
Since the fall of el Fasher, over 70,000 people have fled, according to the UN refugee agency. Many civilians remain trapped, missing, or in RSF custody, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian toll of the conflict.
