Britain sanctions Sudanese commanders over weaponised rape

Sanctions issued over mass killings and widespread sexual violence against civilians during the fall of el-Fasher.

Along with the sanctions, the UK government is pledging humanitarian aid and survivor support for Sudanese refugees [File: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]

The United Kingdom has sanctioned 15 Sudanese military commanders, militia leaders and security officials from both sides of the ongoing civil war accused of committing war crimes during the fall of the city of el-Fasher.

Commanders from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces were sanctioned for sexual violence, torture and attacks on civilians. The measures include travel bans and asset freezes, with the wider aim of ensuring that “the horrors that took place at El Fasher will be known to the world”, the UK Foreign Office said.

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The announcement came after the release of UK-funded reporting by the Centre for Information Resilience, which revealed a campaign of “systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence against civilians in Sudan”, the Foreign Office added.

On Monday, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said those who perpetrated crimes against humanity “must be held accountable and support from all external backers to the warring parties must end”.

The move comes one year after the fall of the city of el-Fasher, which became a focal point of Sudan’s war last year as civilians faced a prolonged siege, reported mass killings, widespread sexual violence and attacks on hospitals.

According to Miliband, “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,” he said.

Sanctions were announced against Hussein Abu Jalak, an RSF colonel linked to atrocities during the siege of el-Fasher, and Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, also known as “al-Qubba”, who was identified as present and playing a prominent role in besieging and attacking the city, the Foreign Office added in the statement.

It added that the UK has allocated five million pounds ($6.6m) to support survivors of sexual violence in Sudan and another 10 million pounds ($13.3m) in humanitarian aid.

Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and 14 million people displaced since the war broke out in April 2023, according to Amnesty International.

对法希尔陷落后发生的大规模屠杀和针对平民的普遍性暴力行为实施制裁。

除了制裁之外，英国政府还承诺向苏丹难民提供人道主义援助和幸存者支持。[图片：Amr Abdallah Dalsh/路透社]

英国对15名苏丹军事指挥官、民兵领导人和安全官员实施制裁，这些人来自正在进行的内战双方，被指控在攻占法希尔市期间犯下战争罪行。

英国外交部表示，快速支援部队（RSF）和苏丹武装部队的指挥官因性暴力、酷刑和袭击平民而受到制裁。制裁措施包括旅行禁令和资产冻结，其更广泛的目的是确保“发生在法希尔的惨剧为世人所知”。

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英国外交部补充说，此前由英国资助的信息韧性中心发布了一份报告，揭露了“苏丹针对平民的系统性饥饿和与冲突相关的性暴力”运动。

周一，英国外交大臣埃德·米利班德表示，那些犯下反人类罪行的人“必须被追究责任，所有外部支持者对交战各方的支持必须停止”。

此举发生在法希尔市陷落一年之后。去年，法希尔市成为苏丹战争的焦点，平民面临长期围困、大规模屠杀、普遍的性暴力和对医院的袭击。

米利班德表示：“苏丹战争造成了人道主义灾难。”

他说：“在法希尔暴行发生一年后，英国资助的调查显示，强奸和饥饿仍然被用来对付苏丹人民。”

外交部在声明中补充说，制裁对象包括与法希尔围城战期间暴行有关的快速支援部队上校侯赛因·阿布·贾拉克，以及被认定在围攻和袭击该城中扮演重要角色的努尔·艾哈迈德·亚当（又名“库巴”）。

声明还补充说，英国已拨款 500 万英镑（660 万美元）用于支持苏丹性暴力幸存者，并拨款 1000 万英镑（1330 万美元）用于人道主义援助。

据国际特赦组织称，自 2023 年 4 月战争爆发以来，已有数万平民丧生，1400 万人流离失所。