UK sanctions Sudanese military leaders implicated in El Fasher ‘campaign of rape’

Armed defectors from the Rapid Support Forces arrive to surrender to the Sudanese military in Omdurman on 19 August. Photograph: Ebrahim Hamid/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenArmed defectors from the Rapid Support Forces arrive to surrender to the Sudanese military in Omdurman on 19 August.

Fotografia: Ebrahim Hamid/AFP/Getty Images Desenvolvimento Global O Reino Unido sanciona líderes militares sudaneses envolvidos na 'campanha de estupro' de El Fasher Comandantes suspeitos de violência sexual durante o maior e mais rápido massacre de civis em mais de 30 anos foram submetidos a proibição de viagem e congelamento de ativos.

About this contentMark TownsendMon 26 Oct 2026 11. 07 EDTLast modified on Mon 26 Oct 2026 11. 16 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleSenior Sudanese commanders implicated in a “campaign of rape” have been targeted by the UK on the first anniversary of a mass atrocity that saw tens of thousands of civilians killed over several days.

A year after the fall of El Fasher, the British government said it had sanctioned military leaders from both sides in the country’s ongoing conflict whom it suspected of sexual violence during the siege of the city.

A total of 15 commanders from the military groups – the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) – have been subjected to a travel ban and an asset freeze.

The Foreign Office said it hoped the action would ensure “the horrors that took place at El Fasher will be known to the world”.

Durante a tomada da cidade pelas RSF, acredita-se que até 10. 000 homens, mulheres e crianças foram massacrados em dois dias – o massacre mais rápido e maior de civis neste século.

The killings came at the end of an 18-month starvation siege by the RSF, which was allegedly backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE continues to deny supporting the RSF.

Fewer than 70,000 people are believed to remain in El Fasher, compared with a prewar population of more than 1 million. Life inside the city continues to be horrendous, with testimony indicating routine detention, torture and unlawful killings.

Indivíduos alvo das mais recentes sanções do Reino Unido incluem Hussein Abu Jalak, um coronel da RSF ligado a atrocidades durante o cerco, que forçou centenas de milhares de civis a viverem com ração animal.

Another is Al-Nour Ahmed Adam – also known as “Al-Qubba” – who was identified as playing a prominent role in the attack on the city.

A Guardian investigation earlier this year revealed internal US and UK warnings were sidelined in the run-up to the RSF attack on El Fasher, and that action that might have saved lives was not taken.

A statement to mark the anniversary of the massacre from the Coalition on Atrocity Prevention and Justice for Sudan said: “The victims will not be forgotten, survivors will be heard, and we will continue to pursue accountability for those responsible.”.

During the 12 months since the fall of El Fasher, Sudan’s ruinous conflict – which has forced 14 million people to flee their homes – has developed increasingly into a drone war.

Os últimos ataques mostraram a RSF provocando apagões em massa em todo o leste do Sudão depois de atacar estações de energia com um ataque coordenado de drones.