A year after one of the bloodiest chapters in Sudan’s devastating civil war, Britain has moved to hold senior military figures accountable for what survivors describe as a deliberate campaign of sexual violence and mass killing in the strategic city of El Fasher.
On the anniversary of the RSF’s capture of the city in October 2023, the UK Foreign Office announced targeted sanctions against fifteen commanders from both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces. Each individual faces a travel ban and asset freeze, measures designed to signal that those responsible for extreme brutality will not escape consequences.
The Fall of El Fasher: A City Devastated
El Fasher, once home to over a million people, now struggles to sustain fewer than 70,000 residents. The human cost has been staggering. Up to 10,000 civilians are believed to have been killed during the final assault, making it the deadliest single incident of civilian deaths this century. Tens of thousands more vanished without a trace—40,000 remain unaccounted for.
The violence followed an 18-month siege marked by starvation and systematic abuse. Reports detail widespread detention, torture, and summary executions continuing long after the initial takeover. Women and girls were subjected to mass rape, used as weapons of war in a calculated strategy to terrorise populations.
Hussein Abu Jalak, identified as an RSF colonel linked to atrocities during the siege, is among those now sanctioned. Also targeted is Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known by the alias “Al-Qubba,” accused of playing a leading role in the attack.
Sanctions Amid Growing International Pressure
The decision comes amid mounting calls for accountability as Sudan’s conflict enters its second year. Since fighting erupted between the SAF and RSF in April 2023, more than 14 million people have been displaced. The war has increasingly shifted toward drone warfare, with recent RSF strikes knocking out power stations across eastern Sudan and leaving entire regions in darkness.
A Guardian investigation earlier this year exposed how internal warnings from US and UK intelligence were ignored in the lead-up to the El Fasher offensive. Those failures may have cost countless lives, according to aid workers and rights monitors who say early intervention could have prevented the catastrophe.
In a statement marking the anniversary, the Coalition on Atrocity Prevention and Justice for Sudan declared: “The victims will not be forgotten, survivors will be heard, and we will continue to pursue accountability for those responsible.”
Limited Impact, High Symbolism
While the sanctions represent a moral stance, their practical effect remains unclear. Neither the RSF nor the SAF has shown any indication of cooperating with international efforts to investigate crimes. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates—which Western officials accuse of backing the RSF—continues to deny involvement.
For survivors and advocacy groups, however, the move signals something vital: recognition of what happened in El Fasher. As one aid worker put it bluntly, “At least now the world cannot pretend it didn’t see this.”
Why it Matters
The UK’s sanctions are more than symbolic—they reflect a growing reckoning with atrocities committed in Sudan’s forgotten war. But with no end in sight and humanitarian conditions deteriorating daily, the real challenge lies not just in naming perpetrators, but in ensuring justice follows. For the 14 million displaced and millions more trapped in violence, silence is complicity. The international community must do more than issue statements—it must act before another El Fasher fades from memory.
