The UK government announced on Thursday that it has sanctioned six people suspected of committing atrocities during the war in Sudan or of fueling the conflict by supplying mercenaries and military equipment.
These measures target senior commanders of the Sudanese paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese armed forces, the government stated. The conflict between the two forces has displaced millions of people, drawn in regional powers, and triggered a vast humanitarian crisis since it began in April 2023.
“We urgently need a ceasefire and safe access for humanitarian aid agencies so they can reach everyone in need,” said British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who visited the border between Sudan and Chad this week. “Through these sanctions, we will seek to dismantle the war machine of those who perpetrate or profit from brutal violence in Sudan,” Cooper added.
The British government also sanctioned three people - Alvaro Andres Quijano, Mateo Andres Duque Botero and Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero - suspected of recruiting foreign fighters for the conflict or facilitating the purchase of military equipment.
Other individuals sanctioned include Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, former RSF commander and current head of the Sudan Protection Forces, Hussein Barsham, RSF field commander, and Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed, RSF financial advisor.
