London freezes assets of 15 Sudan generals, citing rape and starvation in el-Fasher

The United Kingdom has sanctioned 15 senior military commanders from both sides of Sudan’s civil war. The measures, announced by the Foreign Office on Monday, target leaders from the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces. Each individual is now subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stated the sanctions respond to suspected atrocities committed by both parties. He noted the one-year anniversary of the assault on el-Fasher in Darfur. Miliband said UK-funded investigations revealed that rape and starvation remain weapons of war. He added that external backers must end their support for the warring factions.

The RSF launched its final offensive on el-Fasher on October 26, 2025. This attack followed a siege lasting more than 500 days. Researchers at Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab described the killing as an industrial-scale massacre. They compared the speed and scope of the violence to the entire Rwandan genocide.

Survivors reported that RSF fighters raped young women and girls and executed civilians. Witnesses described survivors being moved to makeshift clinics where blood was drawn from them. Families of victims reported being extorted for money. RSF units filmed themselves during the massacre. The UAE, a close ally of the RSF, continues to deny any involvement in the conflict.

The conflict began in April 2023 and has created the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. British officials have faced prior criticism for not holding the UAE accountable. A UN fact-finding mission found reasonable grounds to believe private recruiters in the UAE routed supplies through Chad and southeastern Libya. The UN also identified Bosaso in Somalia as a transit point for these supplies.

The Foreign Office stated the sanctions ensure the horrors of el-Fasher are known globally. The UK has also reported on army bases in Ethiopia used to assist the RSF. The new measures place financial pressure on 15 specific commanders rather than the entire military structure. This represents a shift in British policy toward targeting individual leadership in the Sudan conflict.