Britain sanctioned six individuals suspected of committing atrocities in Sudan’s war or of fueling the conflict through the supply of mercenaries and military equipment.
– The measures targeted senior commanders in both the Sudanese paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
– The conflict between the two forces has displaced millions, drawn in regional powers and caused a vast humanitarian crisis since it broke out in April 2023.
– “We urgently need a ceasefire, and safe access for humanitarian relief agencies to reach all those in need,” British foreign minister Yvette Cooper, who visited the Sudan-Chad border this week, said in the statement.
– “Through these sanctions, we will seek to dismantle the war machine of those who perpetrate or profit from the brutal violence in Sudan,” Cooper added.
– The British government also sanctioned three individuals – 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.
– Others sanctioned include Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, a former RSF Commander and current head of the Sudan Shied Forces, RSF Field Commander Hussein Barsham, and RSF Financial Advisor Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed.