UK Slaps Sanctions on Sudanese Army and Paramilitary Leaders Over Ongoing War

By : Mweru Mbugua 

Britain has imposed sanctions on six individuals accused of committing atrocities in Sudan’s ongoing conflict or fuelling the war through the recruitment of mercenaries and the supply of military equipment, the government announced on Thursday

The sanctions target senior commanders from both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as fighting between the rival groups continues to devastate the country

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions of people, drawn in regional powers and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis across Sudan

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who visited the Sudan–Chad border earlier this week, called for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access

“We urgently need a ceasefire, and safe access for humanitarian relief agencies to reach all those in need,” Cooper said in a statement. “Through these sanctions, we will seek to dismantle the war machine of those who perpetrate or profit from the brutal violence in Sudan”

Among those sanctioned are Alvaro Andres Quijano, Mateo Andres Duque Botero and Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, who are suspected of recruiting foreign fighters or facilitating the purchase of military equipment for the conflict

 Also read : Nairobi Cabinet Approves Bill to Set Up 24-Hour Emergency Operations Centre

Others targeted include Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, a former RSF commander and current head of the Sudan Shield Forces; RSF field commander Hussein Barsham; and RSF financial adviser Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed

Britain said the measures are part of wider efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and curb the flow of resources sustaining the war, as international pressure mounts to end one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises