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The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on senior figures within Sudan’s military and paramilitary forces, citing their alleged roles in atrocities and in sustaining the country’s protracted conflict.
In a statement released on Thursday, the British government said the measures target six individuals linked to the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023 and has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who recently visited the Sudan-Chad border, said the situation on the ground remains dire. She stressed the need for an immediate halt to hostilities and unhindered humanitarian access.
“We urgently need a ceasefire, and safe access for humanitarian relief agencies to reach all those in need,” Cooper said.
According to the statement, those sanctioned include senior commanders from both sides of the conflict, as well as individuals accused of facilitating the recruitment of foreign fighters and the procurement of military equipment.
Among those named are Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, a former RSF commander who now heads the Sudan Shield Forces, RSF field commander Hussein Barsham, and RSF financial adviser Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed.
The UK also sanctioned three individuals, Alvaro Andres Quijano, Mateo Andres Duque Botero, and Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, for alleged involvement in recruiting mercenaries or facilitating arms purchases linked to the conflict.
The war in Sudan has displaced millions of people, drawn in regional actors, and devastated critical infrastructure, deepening food shortages and limiting access to basic services across large parts of the country.
