UK sanctions 15 Sudan commanders from RSF and army over wartime rape
Britain has frozen the assets of and banned travel for 15 commanders from both sides of Sudan's war over sexual violence and atrocities, including during the fall of El Fasher, and pledged £15 million in new aid.
At a glance
- The UK on Monday, October 26, 2026, imposed asset freezes and travel bans on 15 senior commanders from Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese army (SAF) and allied militias.
- Those named include RSF colonel Hussein Abu Jalak over the siege of El Fasher, and SAF brigadier general Ahmed Haj Barrir Ahmed over massacres in Wad Madani.
- The action follows UK-funded research that found both sides used starvation and sexual violence against civilians.
- Britain also announced £5 million for survivors of sexual violence and a £10 million humanitarian aid package.
- Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband urged outside backers of both warring parties to stop supporting them.
Britain on Monday, October 26, 2026, imposed sanctions on 15 senior commanders from both sides of Sudan's war, accusing them of involvement in sexual violence and other atrocities against civilians, including during the siege and fall of El Fasher in Darfur. The commanders, from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese army (SAF) and militias fighting alongside the army, face asset freezes and travel bans. The UK also pledged £15 million in new support for Sudanese civilians.
Who was sanctioned
The list covers both warring parties. Among those named are:
| Name | Side | Reason given |
|---|---|---|
| Hussein Abu Jalak | RSF colonel | Linked to atrocities during the siege of El Fasher |
| Al-Nour Ahmed Adam ("Al-Qubba") | Former RSF major general, later defected to SAF | Prominent role in besieging and attacking El Fasher |
| Ali Rizqallah | Former RSF commander, later defected to SAF | Past atrocities |
| Brig Gen Ahmed Haj Barrir Ahmed | Sudanese army (SAF) | Involvement in massacres in Wad Madani, Gezira State |
| Abu Zaid Talha Al-Misbah | SAF-aligned Al-Baraa bin Malik Battalion | Violence against civilians in Gezira State |
The measures freeze any assets the 15 hold in the UK and bar them from entering the country. Sanctions are not criminal convictions, and none of those named has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
The evidence behind the decision
The sanctions follow research funded by the UK and carried out by the Centre for Information Resilience. It found what it described as systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence against civilians by both sides. The researchers identified five hotspots of sexual violence and 25 commanders for whom there were reasonable grounds to believe they were directly or indirectly responsible.
The report describes sieges, drone attacks on civilian infrastructure and aid operations, and the blocking of aid. It cites footage of RSF fighters discussing cutting off water to El Fasher and stopping food traders, and accounts of women and girls being abducted, repeatedly raped and held in conditions amounting to sexual slavery.
New aid
Alongside the sanctions, Britain announced £5 million to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan and a £10 million humanitarian aid package.
Reactions
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the war had created "a humanitarian catastrophe" and that, a year after the atrocities in El Fasher, rape and starvation were still being used as weapons against the Sudanese people. He said those responsible must be held to account and urged the foreign backers of both sides to end their support. He also warned that the El Niño weather pattern could make the crisis worse, saying whether famine takes hold depends on the RSF and the army stopping attacks on aid convoys and letting food reach communities.
Background
Sudan's war began in April 2023, when a power struggle between army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo exploded into fighting in Khartoum. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions from their homes. El Fasher, the last major army-held city in Darfur, fell to the RSF last year after an 18-month siege, followed by mass killings that drew international condemnation. Fighting continues in Kordofan and other regions, where drone strikes have hit markets and power stations.
Why it matters
The move is one of the broadest Western sanctions packages to target both sides of the war at once, and it focuses on sexual violence as a weapon of war. While asset freezes have limited direct impact on commanders inside Sudan, they add to international pressure, make it harder for those named to travel or move money, and support future efforts at accountability, including at the International Criminal Court.
What happens next
Britain is expected to press partners, including the EU and the US, to take similar steps. Aid agencies are urging both sides to allow access as the lean season and possible El Niño-related floods and droughts threaten to deepen hunger across the country.
Questions people are asking
Who did the UK sanction in Sudan?
The UK sanctioned 15 commanders from the Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese army and militias allied with the army, including RSF colonel Hussein Abu Jalak, former RSF commander Al-Nour Ahmed Adam ('Al-Qubba') and SAF brigadier general Ahmed Haj Barrir Ahmed. They face asset freezes and travel bans.
Why were the Sudan commanders sanctioned?
Britain says they are implicated in conflict-related sexual violence, starvation tactics and other atrocities against civilians, including during the siege and fall of El Fasher in Darfur and in Gezira State.
What is happening in Sudan's war?
Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been at war since April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and created what the UN calls the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
