Meeting in Brussels, on Thursday 20 November, European foreign affairs ministers agreed to the imposition of restrictive measures by the European Union against Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, this decision should send “a signal that the international community will come after those who are responsible” for the atrocities committed in Sudan, where two armed factions, each supported by different external actors, have been waging a bloody war since 2023.
“The capture of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces opened another devastating chapter in this war. The conflict has brought thousands of deaths and immense suffering”, said Ms Kallas at a press conference following the meeting.
Asked about the logic of announcing new sanctions targeting a single paramilitary leader, recently accused of mass executions, the High Representative said that, for the 27 EU countries, “the overall understanding was that we should do more”.
In a further statement on Thursday, Ms Kallas said that “the EU will step up its support for the documentation and investigation of these violations in order to break the persistent cycle of impunity that continues to fuel new atrocities”. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)