Senior commanders accused of atrocities against civilians face asset freezes – but no action against key backer UAE
The UK has placed sanctions on four senior commanders of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces suspected of involvement in “heinous” violence against civilians in the city of El Fasher, but decided not to take any action against their key military and diplomatic backer, the United Arab Emirates, or their chief commander.
British officials suggested they preferred to use their leverage with the UAE and the RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, privately, but admitted there was little sign of a ceasefire in Sudan’s near three-year civil war.
They also expressed fears that the war may spread to South Sudan and Eritrea. There were also concerns among diplomats that rivalries between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, on display in the south of Yemen, could lead to a deepening of the conflict in Sudan.
The UK estimates there are as many as 26 possible arms supply routes into Sudan with 10 countries of origin. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have broadly supported the army, while the RSF has been backed by the UAE, a position the Gulf state denies despite evidence compiled by the UN, independent experts and reporters. In south Yemen, the UAE is backing a separatist movement, the Southern Transitional Council, which is opposed by Saudi Arabia.
