UN Imposes Sanctions on Sudanese Paramilitary Leaders for Atrocities in El-Fasher

The United Nations Security Council has taken action against four high-ranking leaders of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) due to their involvement in atrocities committed during the takeover of El-Fasher. Among those sanctioned are deputy commander Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo and Brigadier General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, also known as Abu Lulu, infamous for his brutal tactics and earned the moniker “Butcher of El-Fasher.” The sanctions also extend to RSF deputy commander Gedo Hamdan Ahmed and field commander Tijani Ibrahim.

A representative for Tasis, a coalition aligned with the RSF, denounced the sanctions as “unfair,” branding the UN's findings as “biased” and “lacking neutrality.”

The RSF's assault on El-Fasher in October marked a particularly savage episode in Sudan's ongoing civil war, which has persisted for nearly three years. A UN fact-finding mission highlighted that the RSF’s actions bore indications of genocidal intent. While the RSF acknowledged certain “violations” had occurred, they contended that the extent of the atrocities had been grossly overstated. Tasis claimed to have evacuated over 800,000 civilians and provided essential supplies, labeling the sanctions as “unjust.”

According to the UN, Dagalo, who is the sibling of RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly referred to as Hemedti, oversaw the operations that resulted in the violent capture of El-Fasher, which included widespread killings and targeted ethnic executions. This is not Dagalo’s first encounter with sanctions; he has been previously designated by the US, UK, and EU.

The Sentry, a nonprofit organization based in the US that investigates conflict-related profiteering, expressed support for the unified sanctions but stressed that further financial repercussions against the RSF were imperative.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in conflict following escalated hostilities between the RSF and the national army, which the UN described as a “war of atrocities.” This conflict has led to tens of thousands of fatalities and severe humanitarian crises, including widespread famine and displacement. The RSF maintained a siege on El-Fasher for 18 months, controlling the city by 26 October.

The UN investigation recounted “three days of horror” during which the city faced extrajudicial executions, systematic sexual violence, and mass detentions, particularly targeting individuals from the Zaghawa ethnic group. Abu Lulu's notoriety was further solidified by sharing grim videos of the takeover, which allegedly depicted him executing civilians.

Tasis has asserted that Abu Lulu has been arrested by its forces, characterizing the abuses as “individual incidents” instead of an RSF-led strategy. Dagalo had been previously sanctioned by the US in September 2023, along with the other commanders the preceding week for their roles in human rights violations including killings, torture, starvation, and sexual abuse. The British government had also imposed sanctions on all four commanders in December.

While the specific measures of the UN sanctions were not disclosed, the organization holds the authority to implement asset freezes and travel restrictions. The UN refugee agency reported that over 70,000 civilians had fled El-Fasher post-capture, with many others still trapped, unaccounted for, or detained by the RSF.