UN blacklists RSF deputy leader, commanders over El Fasher atrocities

NEW YORK – The United Nations Security Council has blacklisted Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Deputy Commander Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo and three senior field commanders for their roles in mass atrocities committed during the October 2025 takeover of El Fasher in North Darfur.

The designations, made public on Tuesday, cite actions that threaten the peace, security, and stability of Darfur. The targeted individuals are accused of orchestrating mass killings, ethnically targeted executions, widespread sexual violence, and hostage-taking following the RSF’s seizure of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) 6th Infantry Division headquarters on Oct. 26.

Alongside Dagalo—the brother of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo—the sanctions target Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known as “Abu Lulu”; Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed, known as “Al Zeir Salem”; and Gedo Hamdan Ahmed, known as “Abu Nashuk”.

According to the UN committee, RSF forces carried out mass killings at El Fasher University and the Saudi Hospital, along with shootings northwest of the city. The violence specifically targeted the Zaghawa, Fur, and other non-Arab communities.

Sudans Post has reviewed footage showing the deputy RSF commander at the SAF headquarters issuing direct orders to fighters to kill captives rather than take prisoners. Further open-source intelligence and verified video footage corroborate the presence of the sanctioned field commanders at the captured base.

In one verified video, Abu Lulu is seen interrogating detainees about their tribal affiliations before executing unarmed men at close range. Al Zeir Salem was filmed addressing detained civilians inside the military compound, while Abu Nashuk was filmed alongside Dagalo in the city.

The UN summary also cites reports of rampant sexual violence, including gang rape, and the targeted kidnapping of medical staff. RSF troops reportedly abducted four doctors, a pharmacist, and a nurse, demanding ransoms in excess of $150,000.

Prior to the city’s fall, RSF forces encircled El Fasher for 18 months, trapping approximately 260,000 civilians. The Oct. 26 takeover triggered the displacement of 70,000 people, with survivor accounts describing fleeing civilians being intercepted and executed along escape corridors.

Earlier this month, a UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission concluded that the RSF operations in El Fasher bore the “hallmarks of genocide.”

While the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom previously sanctioned the three field commanders, the UN listing marks the first global designation against Abdelrahim Dagalo.

Western sanctions primarily freeze assets within their jurisdictions and restrict travel. Because RSF commanders rely heavily on local resource networks, regional trade, and gold-linked financing rather than international banking, Western measures have had limited battlefield impact.

However, the UN sanctions—adopted under Resolution 1591—are binding on all 193 member states. This framework mandates universal asset freezes and travel bans, potentially restricting the RSF’s financial and logistical networks in regional states not aligned with Western policy.

The war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced over 14 million.