UK sanctions Sudanese military commanders

The UK 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 and the Sudanese Armed Forces were sanctioned for sexual violence, torture and attacks on civilians, reports Al Jazeera. 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. 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. ‘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,’ Miliband 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 $6.6m to support survivors of sexual violence in Sudan and another $13.3m in humanitarian aid.