WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three commanders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—a Sudanese paramilitary group—for their actions in El-Fasher, Sudan. These individuals were involved in the RSF’s 18-month siege of and eventual capture of El-Fasher, in which the RSF perpetrated a horrific campaign of ethnic killings, torture, starvation, and sexual violence. Since the beginning of Sudan’s civil war in April 2023, the RSF and its aligned militias have committed widespread atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
“The United States calls on the Rapid Support Forces to commit to a humanitarian ceasefire immediately. We will not tolerate this ongoing campaign of terror and senseless killing in Sudan,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Without a swift end, Sudan’s civil war risks further destabilizing the region, creating conditions for terrorist groups to grow and threaten the safety and interests of the United States.”
The United States took this action following the United Kingdom’s and the European Union’s designation of the same individuals on December 12, 2025 and January 29, 2026, respectively. The United States is committed to working with the international community to achieve a lasting peace in Sudan, which has been afflicted by a brutal civil war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The conflict has provoked the world’s worst ongoing humanitarian crisis with over 150,000 having been killed and more than 14 million displaced.
capturing EL-FASHER
From May 2024 to October 2025, the RSF and allied militias maintained an effective siege of El-Fasher––the capital of North Darfur and the SAF’s last stronghold in Darfur––and engaged in relentless attacks on the city and the surrounding internally displaced person camps. Over this 18-month period, the RSF gradually tightened its siege, increased indiscriminate strikes, and built a berm—or earthen wall—around the city to prevent food and aid from entering. These actions trapped an estimated 260,000 civilians, leading to widespread outbreaks of disease and famine.
While engaging SAF-aligned forces in intense urban warfare, RSF fighters perpetrated a horrific campaign of summary executions, torture, and sexual violence, targeting civilians based on their ethnicity and tribal identity, irrespective of gender and age. The RSF massacred civilians attempting to flee El-Fasher and those seeking refuge. Once it fully captured the city on October 26, RSF fighters accelerated its systematic and widespread killings, detentions, and sexual violence, leaving no survivor—civilian or SAF-aligned fighter––unharmed. After seizing the city, the RSF engaged in a systematic campaign to destroy evidence of its mass killings by burying, burning, and disposing of tens of thousands of bodies. Tens of thousands of people that were in El-Fasher remain missing.
Elfateh Abdullah Idris Adam (Idris), also known as “Abu Lulu,” is an RSF brigadier general who filmed himself in El-Fasher killing unarmed civilians and bragging about killing thousands. Idris interrogated, mocked, and verbally abused civilian and surrendered SAF captives, questioning them about their tribal affiliation, making them recite pro-RSF statements, and in some cases, threatening to rape them. Idris then executed the captives by shooting them with his rifle at close range while they were defenseless positions. The RSF purportedly arrested Idris for human rights abuses, although the RSF likely staged this arrest to distance themselves from the atrocities its leaders and fighters committed in El-Fasher. Idris has perpetrated the same atrocities elsewhere in Sudan, such as in March 2024 when he and other RSF fighters executed captured SAF personnel at the Al-Jili Oil Refinery, north of Khartoum, Sudan’s capital.
Gedo Hamdan Ahmed Mohamed (Gedo), also known as “Abu Shok,” is an RSF major general who has served as the commander for North Darfur since 2021, and Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed (Tijani), also known as “Al Zeir Salem,” is an RSF field commander. During their respective tenures as RSF leaders, the RSF besieged and captured El-Fasher, and its fighters were documented massacring thousands and committing abductions, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence. Gedo and Tijani were filmed at an abandoned SAF base in El-Fasher following its capture by the RSF.
OFAC designated Idris pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14098, “Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and Undermining the Goal of a Democratic Transition,” for being a foreign person who is responsible for, or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, the targeting of women, children, or any other civilians through the commission of acts of violence (including killing, maiming, torture, or rape or other sexual violence), abduction, forced displacement, or attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or locations where civilians are seeking refuge, or through conduct that would constitute a serious abuse or violation of human rights or a violation of international humanitarian law.
OFAC designated Gedo and Tijani pursuant to E.O. 14098 for being foreign persons who are or have been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the RSF, an entity that has, or whose members have, been responsible for, or complicit in, or have directly or indirectly engaged in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Sudan relating to the tenure of such leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Individuals located in the U.S. or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.
Click here for more information on the persons designated today.
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