Mass killing and blocked aid: Sudan’s top generals under sanctions

The US, EU and UN have issued dozens of sanctions targeting the army's commanders and intelligence chiefs

Displaced people in Sudan receive medical treatment in Tawila, North Darfur. Reuters

The international community has sanctioned senior Sudanese military and paramilitary officials, accusing them of war crimes, atrocities and actions that have further destabilised a country.

The power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) spiralled into open war in April 2023, unleashing ethnic violence that killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.

Since then, the US, EU and UN have issued dozens of sanctions targeting the commanders, intelligence chiefs and militia leaders driving the conflict.

The sanctions also targeted several RSF figures, including its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is accused of directing systematic atrocities since the war began, including widespread killing along ethnic lines.

On Friday, the UN’s senior human rights official delivered a stark warning to parties in the devastating civil war, telling them the world is documenting their crimes and accountability is inevitable.

Here is a list of the top sanctioned army generals and what they are accused of:

Abdel Fattah Al Burhan

The US imposed sanctions on the head of the Sudanese army, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan in January 2025.

The US Treasury Department accused Mr Al Burhan of "destabilising Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition".

The US says the army under his command “has committed lethal attacks on civilians”, including attacks on schools, markets and hospitals. Separately, Washington has alleged that the SAF used chemical weapons.

Sudan's army chief General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan. AFP

Washington also accuses the army of being "responsible for the routine and intentional denial of humanitarian access, using food deprivation as a war tactic".

The sanctions freeze any assets the Sudanese leader has in the US and also block US transactions with him.

"The SAF deliberately obstructs life-saving humanitarian assistance," wrote former US diplomat Jeffrey Feltman in a commentary published by Boookings this week.

"The SAF’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), dubbed a hidden wall, creates bureaucratic runarounds to hinder aid delivery. In some areas, the HAC has attempted to control the Emergency Relief Rooms (ERRs), a grass roots network that supplies essential services, including soup kitchens," he explained.

Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal

The EU imposed restrictive measures in July on the army military commander, Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, who formerly defected to the RSF and then rejoined the army in 2024.

He was the governor of Jazirah State after RSF’s takeover.

During his time as the Head of Sudan Shield Forces, he is deemed responsible for targeting the Kanabi, a historically marginalised group comprised mainly of Nuba and other African tribes, according to the EU.

Mohamed Ali Ahmed Subir

The EU sanctioned Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Ahmed Subir, the SAF’s influential director of military intelligence, in December 2024.

He is accused of overseeing arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence.

Mr Subir is considered one of Burhan’s closest security advisers and a key figure in the army’s intelligence and repression apparatus.

Salah Abdallah Mohamed Salah

The EU also imposed measures on Salah Abdallah, the former director of the National Intelligence and Security Service.

Although no longer formally in office, he retains influence through a network linked to the former Bashir regime and Islamist factions aligned with the SAF.

The EU accused him of contributing to instability and undermining efforts to end the conflict.

The man also known as Salah Ghosh has been sanctioned by the US, too.

Salah Abdallah Mohammed Salih, widely known as Salih Ghosh. AFP

Yasser Al Atta

Although not yet formally sanctioned, Gen Yasser Al Atta, a senior member of the Sovereign Council and one of the most powerful commanders in the SAF, has been repeatedly named in UN investigations and assessments for his central role in the army’s war effort.

He is accused of authorising and co-ordinating air strikes on civilian neighbourhoods in Khartoum and Omdurman, and of overseeing operations that caused large-scale civilian casualties.

Mr Al Atta has also been linked to the mobilisation of Islamist-leaning militias that fight alongside the army, reinforcing some of the SAF’s most hardline elements.

Gen Yasser Al Atta. AFP

Diplomats and rights groups consider him one of the conflict’s most uncompromising military figures, and several governments are weighing potential sanctions against him.

"The SAF launches air strikes on civilians marketplaces and has been sanctioned for the use of chemical weapons, while the RSF massacres non-Arabs in Darfur," wrote Mr Feltman.

"Both forces demonstrate disdain for international humanitarian law and contempt for Sudan’s citizens."