Britain on Monday sanctioned 15 military commanders, militia leaders and security officials from both sides of Sudan's conflict, accusing them of waging sexual violence, torture and attacks on civilians linked to the fall of al-Fashir, Reuters reported. Those targeted include commanders from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), as well as leaders of armed groups allied to the army, in what London said was its latest effort to hold perpetrators of abuses accountable.

Source: Reuters via KWSN

The measures come a year after the fall of al-Fashir, the North Darfur capital that became a focal point of Sudan's war, where civilians were subjected to a prolonged siege, reported mass killings and widespread sexual violence, Reuters said. The UK government's press release said the sanctions carry travel bans and asset freezes, according to a summary of the announcement.

Source: Reuters via KWSN / UK government press release via Global Banking & Finance

Britain said the action followed the publication of UK-funded research by the Centre for Information Resilience, which documented what it described as systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence against civilians by both sides in the war, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters via KWSN

London also pledged an additional £15 million ($20 million) in humanitarian and survivor support for Sudan — yaani about $20 million, or 2 crore US dollars. According to the UK press release summary, £5 million is for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and £10 million for broader humanitarian aid in Darfur and El Obeid amid rising famine risks.

Source: Reuters via KWSN / UK government press release via Global Banking & Finance

Sudan's army and the RSF have been fighting since April 2023. The sanctions land as the wider toll keeps rising: UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk on Friday condemned a sharp escalation in drone strikes across Sudan, where the UN Human Rights Office documented at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries during the first three weeks of October, with strikes hitting homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources, according to UN reporting carried by Devdiscourse.

Source: UN Human Rights Office via Devdiscourse

What is solid

  • The UK sanctioned 15 commanders, militia leaders and security officials drawn from both the RSF and the SAF and army-allied armed groups (UK government; Reuters)
  • The stated grounds are sexual violence, torture and attacks on civilians linked to the fall of al-Fashir, following UK-funded Centre for Information Resilience research documenting systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence by both sides (UK government; Reuters)
  • The UK pledged an additional £15 million (about $20 million) in humanitarian and survivor support (UK government; Reuters)

What is only claimed

  • The abuse findings are the UK's and its funded researchers' documented accusations against named commanders from both factions; the sanctioned individuals' responses were not reported in the announcement coverage (Reuters)