The UN Security Council's decision to sanction the four leaders of the Rapid Support Forces is a direct response to the atrocities committed in el-Fasher, which was captured by the RSF in October.
The city's fall was one of the most brutal chapters of Sudan's nearly three-year civil war, with the UN fact-finding mission describing the campaign as "three days of horror" marked by summary executions, systematic sexual violence, and mass detention.
The sanctions target Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy commander of the RSF, and Brigadier General Al-Fatedris, also known as Abu Lulu, who became notorious for graphic videos he posted of the takeover, including footage of himself executing civilians and boasting about killing over 2,000 people.
The sanctions also target RSF deputy commander Gedo Hamdan Ahmed and field commander Tijani Ibrahim, and are the fourth time Dagalo has been sanctioned, following earlier designations by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
War crimes investigators from The Sentry, an investigative and policy organization, have welcomed the move, saying it is encouraging to see alignment in targeting officials, but emphasize that far more needs to be done to impose real financial consequences on the RSF and the networks that sustain it.
The conflict in Sudan has left tens of thousands dead and triggered the world's worst hunger and displacement crisis, with the UN describing it as a "war of atrocities".
The situation in el-Fasher remains dire, with more than 70,000 people having fled the city since it and civilians remaining trapped or being held by the RSF inside the city, according to the UN's refugee agency.
The US imposed sanctions on Daglo, Ahmed, and Ibrahim last week over their roles in the "ethnic killings, torture, starvation, and sexual violence" committed in el-Fasher. The UN has the powers to order measures such as an assets freeze and a travel ban, but did not specify what sanctions it had imposed on the four leaders.
As the conflict in Sudan continues, the international community is under pressure to take further action to hold those responsible accountable and to provide support to the millions of people affected by the crisis.
