The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on three senior commanders of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), citing their alleged role in grave abuses committed during the 18-month siege and capture of the Darfur city of al-Fashir.
In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department accused the RSF of carrying out what it described as a “horrific campaign of ethnic killings, torture, starvation, and sexual violence” during and after the prolonged siege, which ended with RSF forces taking control of the city in October 2025.
Washington said that following the fall of al-Fashir, RSF fighters escalated systematic killings, mass detentions, and sexual violence, with civilians disproportionately affected. The Treasury further alleged that RSF elements attempted to conceal evidence of mass killings by burying, burning, or disposing of large numbers of bodies.
More than 100,000 residents are estimated to have fled al-Fashir since late October, after months of fighting and blockade plunged the city into famine conditions.
The RSF has previously acknowledged that serious violations occurred in and around al-Fashir, attributing them to what it described as rogue elements operating outside the chain of command. The group has said it launched internal investigations and arrested a number of individuals accused of abuses, pledging to hold those responsible accountable and prevent further violations.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions were intended to increase pressure on those Washington holds responsible for the violence. “The United States calls on the Rapid Support Forces to commit to a humanitarian ceasefire immediately,” he said, adding that Washington would not tolerate continued attacks on civilians in Sudan.
Among those sanctioned are an RSF brigadier general accused by U.S. authorities of filming himself killing unarmed civilians, as well as a major general and a field commander identified as playing key roles during the siege of al-Fashir.
The sanctions represent the latest U.S. measures targeting individuals linked to alleged war crimes in Sudan, as international efforts to secure a humanitarian ceasefire and revive political negotiations continue amid one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.