UK Freezes Assets of 15 Sudan Commanders Accused in El-Fasher Crimes

The United Kingdom moved on Monday to bar 15 Sudanese military commanders, militia leaders and security officials from entering the country and to freeze their British assets, citing war crimes committed during the collapse of el-Fasher. The measures cover officers from both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces accused of sexual violence, torture and attacks on civilians.

The Foreign Office tied the action to UK-funded reporting from the Centre for Information Resilience that documented what it called systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence against civilians in Sudan. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said perpetrators of crimes against humanity "must be held accountable and support from all external backers to the warring parties must end". He also said the war in Sudan had created a humanitarian catastrophe.

Named in the action are Hussein Abu Jalak, an RSF colonel linked to atrocities during the siege of el-Fasher, and Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as al-Qubba, identified as present and playing a prominent role in besieging and attacking the city. The sanctions include travel bans alongside the asset freezes.

El-Fasher fell one year ago. During the siege, civilians there faced mass killings, widespread sexual violence and attacks on hospitals. Miliband said UK-funded investigations had shown that rape and starvation are still being weaponised against the people of Sudan.

The Foreign Office said the UK has allocated 5 million pounds to support survivors of sexual violence in Sudan and 10 million pounds in humanitarian aid. Amnesty International counts tens of thousands of civilians killed and 14 million people displaced since the war began in April 2023.