UK sanctions senior commanders implicated in campaign of rape in Sudan and unveils new support for survivors
One year after the fall of El Fasher, the UK is bringing forward a new package of action designed to shine a spotlight on the horrific violence seen during the siege of the city.
- UK unleashes sanctions against military commanders suspected of atrocities, including conflict-related sexual violence, during fall of El Fasher.
- Survivors to receive further support while humanitarian aid is strengthened in El Obeid and North Darfur, as conflict and El Nino-induced drought threatens famine.
- Action comes as UK-backed investigations expose campaign of deliberate starvation and sexual violence by all sides in the conflict.
One year after the fall of El Fasher, the UK is today bringing forward a new package of action designed to shine a spotlight on the horrific violence seen during the siege of the city - and help survivors rebuild their lives.
15 senior commanders from both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been sanctioned for suspected atrocities, including conflict-related sexual violence. This includes Hussein Abu Jalak, an RSF colonel linked to atrocities during the siege of El Fasher, and Al-Nour Ahmed Adam (“Al-Qubba”), identified as present and playing a prominent role in besieging and attacking the city.
The sanctions impose a travel ban and asset freeze on those designated, while further ensuring the horrors that took place at El Fasher will be known to the world.
The announcement follows the release of UK-funded reporting by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), revealing a campaign of systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence against civilians in Sudan from both sides of the conflict.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said:
The war in Sudan has created a humanitarian catastrophe.
A year on from the atrocities in El Fasher, UK-funded investigations have shown that rape and starvation are still being weaponised against the people of Sudan.
These are crimes against our humanity - the perpetrators must be held accountable and support from all external backers to the warring parties must end.
El-Nino may worsen an already desperate situation, but whether famine takes hold is in the hands of the RSF and SAF – they must stop attacking aid convoys and let food reach communities.”
The UK is also allocating £5 million to support the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan. The funding will go towards a range of services and supplies for survivors, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, maternal health services, psychosocial support, and safe spaces for women and girls.
A £10 million package will also be allocated to support the ongoing response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan, against a backdrop of increased risk of famine driven by attacks on markets, health facilities, displacement camps and other infrastructure, obstruction of aid and El Nino-induced drought.
It will help to improve access to clean water and sanitation in displacement sites around Tawila, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks, while supporting health, protection and other essential humanitarian services in El Obeid, where conflict and restrictions on humanitarian access have left civilians facing acute needs.
One year ago, after an eighteen-month siege that starved hundreds of thousands of civilians, El Fasher fell to the Rapid Support Forces. In the days that followed, civilians were massacred, women and girls were subjected to horrific sexual violence, and entire communities were devastated.
Now, one year later, further UK-supported CIR reporting has this week shown the brutal tactics used during the siege are still being deployed across Sudan.
Siege tactics, drone attacks on civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations, and the systematic obstruction of aid are all regularly used as weapons of war, with CIR-sourced footage showing RSF fighters discussing shutting off water supplies to El Fasher and preventing traders from bringing food into the city.
Sexual violence is also rampant, with CIR reporting describing women and girls being abducted, repeatedly raped, and held in conditions amounting to sexual slavery.
Today’s sanctions follow five previous rounds of UK sanctions related to Sudan’s conflict that have targeted suspected perpetrators in Sudan and the networks which support them.
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