UN Security Council Sanctions Four Senior RSF Commanders Over Darfur Atrocities

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday imposed sanctions on four senior commanders of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), including the brother of the group’s leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, over alleged atrocities in Darfur, according to a statement from the sanctions committee and diplomatic sources.

The measures were adopted by the Security Council committee established under Resolution 1591 (2005) on Sudan, which oversees an arms embargo along with targeted travel bans and asset freezes under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

Those designated — Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, RSF deputy commander and brother of the RSF leader; Gedo Hamdan Ahmed, a senior commander in North Darfur; Brigadier General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris; and field commander Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed — are now subject to a global travel ban and asset freeze.

In narrative summaries released by the committee, the four men are accused of actions “threatening the peace, security, or stability of Darfur,” including involvement in violence and serious human rights abuses tied to the RSF’s takeover of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, on Oct. 26, 2025.

According to the findings, RSF forces carried out mass killings of civilians at El-Fasher University and the city’s Saudi Hospital, along with shootings in surrounding areas on the day of the assault. The violence reportedly included ethnically targeted executions of Zaghawa and other non-Arab communities.

The committee also cited reports of widespread sexual violence, including gang rapes and other forms of gender-based abuse. RSF fighters were further accused of kidnapping medical personnel — including doctors, a pharmacist, and a nurse — and demanding ransoms exceeding $150,000, while other health workers were allegedly held hostage.

The violence following the October offensive is estimated to have displaced around 70,000 people, with reports of civilians trapped, missing, or detained by RSF forces.

Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo was identified as having been present at the Sudanese Armed Forces’ 6th Infantry Division base in El-Fasher during the attack. The committee cited video footage purportedly showing him directing operations and issuing orders to fighters.

Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, referred to in the committee’s summary as the “Butcher of El-Fasher,” was described as a central figure in the violence. The report references video material allegedly showing him participating in executions and publicly boasting about killings.

Gedo Hamdan Ahmed and Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed were likewise cited as having been present during the takeover, with the committee linking them to patterns of violence, including mass killings, abuses against civilians, and the displacement that followed.

Under the sanctions regime, all UN member states are obligated to freeze any assets held by the four individuals within their jurisdictions and prevent their travel.

The United Kingdom, which holds the Security Council presidency for February, had previously sanctioned the same individuals in December 2025, citing mass killings and systematic sexual violence. Diplomats said the UK, along with the United States and France, had pressed for UN-level designations.

Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023, has displaced millions and devastated large parts of the country, particularly Darfur, where recent human rights assessments have warned of extreme levels of violence against civilians.