EU sanctions RSF deputy leader over Sudan atrocities

November 20, 2025 (BRUSSELS) – The European Union on Wednesday blacklisted Abdelrahim Hamdan Daglo, deputy head of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), over “grave and ongoing atrocities” that Brussels says may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The bloc’s foreign ministers said Daglo, brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, was targeted for restrictive measures, including an asset freeze and travel ban, after the paramilitary group’s recent capture of El Fasher in North Darfur.

In a statement agreed at their monthly meeting, ministers cited “deliberate targeting of civilians, ethnically motivated killings, systematic sexual and gender-based violence, starvation as a method of warfare and denial of humanitarian access” as grounds for the listing.

The EU said it would expand support for documenting abuses and urged the U.N. Security Council to extend the existing arms embargo – currently limited to Darfur – to the whole of Sudan. It called on all states to halt the flow of weapons to the warring parties, singling out Russia and other outside actors for “direct or indirect” support that fuels the conflict.

Ministers demanded an immediate, nationwide ceasefire and the resumption of talks brokered by the Quad – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States – that stalled after the El Fasher offensive.

They also insisted that civilians and aid workers be granted safe passage, hostages released and humanitarian supplies allowed into besieged areas without fees or bureaucratic obstruction.

The EU repeated its opposition to any partition of Sudan and pledged to work with the African Union and regional bloc IGAD to revive a Sudanese-led political process.

More than 150,000 people have fled El Fasher since the RSF took the city last month, according to the United Nations, which says the 18-month war has pushed parts of Sudan to the brink of famine.