Sudanese businessman detained by RSF calls on UK to sanction its leaders

Middle East Eye

5 days ago

A Sudanese-Dutch businessman detained and tortured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the outset of the war in Sudan is calling on the British and Dutch governments to sanction individuals he says are complicit in the war.
Yaslam Altayeb, who now lives in the UK, was held captive by the RSF at a Khartoum military base for 15 days in April 2023 following the outbreak of the war.
In an interview with Middle East Eye conducted shortly after his release, he said he had been abused and tortured while in detention, and that on more than one occasion he was convinced he was going to be killed.
The founder of a media network and a range of companies, from construction to wholesale meat, Altayeb's diabetes worsened in captivity, and he now suffers from chronic pain in his back and neck as a result of being beaten. He has been diagnosed with PTSD.
Altayeb's legal team has submitted a formal application to the British and Dutch foreign ministries to sanction 23 men, including top RSF officials and senior officers from the United Arab Emirates, the Sudanese paramilitary's main patron.
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Included in the list is Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the RSF better known as Hemedti, and his brother Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo. Two RSF officers named in the submission, Abdelmonem al-Rabee and Omran Abdallah, are based in the UK.
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Al-Rabee called on social media for the murder of West Darfur governor Khamis Abakar, who was then brutally killed in RSF captivity.
There are seven Sudanese individuals currently on the UK's sanctions list, including former Janjaweed commander Musa Hilal, but none are top level figures in either the RSF or the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
By contrast, the United States has sanctioned army chief Abdul Fattah al-Burhan and his arch-rival Hemedti, who Human Rights Watch has said is involved in 'crimes against humanity'.
In January, the US determined that a genocide was being perpetrated by the RSF, with the White House sanctioning Hemedti for his role in 'systematic abuses' against the Sudanese people.
Abdul Rahim Dagalo, who is also Hemedti's second-in-command, is also under US sanctions.
UAE involvement in Sudan
Altayeb told Middle East Eye that the 23 individuals he is calling for sanctions against were all – directly or indirectly – involved in his detention. 'They are profiting a lot from this war,' he said. 'All of them. Profiting and benefitting.'
In his application for sanctions, Altayeb's legal counsel states that the businessman was subjected to 'serious human rights violations', including torture and physical assault. These violations have had a 'significant negative impact on his mental and physical health', the legal team said.
'The UK cannot stand idly by in the face of such abuses and must act now'
- Rodney Dixon, legal counsel
Altayeb said that the two Emirati officers named in his submission both visited the base he was held captive in.
One of the officers, the Dutch Sudanese businessman said, is a pilot based in the Emirate of Sharjah, who has helped train RSF fighters and who has been involved in the supply of weapons from the UAE to the paramilitary group.
Middle East Eye and other publications including the New York Times have reported extensively on the routes used by the UAE to supply the RSF. Abu Dhabi continues to deny these and other reports, which the United Nations have found credible and used in their own internal reporting.
Last week in the British parliament, Foreign Secretary David Lammy was asked about the UAE's involvement in the war in Sudan. 'The United Kingdom is in a unique position to be able to deal with a range of partners, and I want to protect that position,' Lammy said in response.
'We ask that the Foreign Secretary David Lammy and the FCDO (UK foreign office) use their powers to swiftly sanction those responsible for these grievous human rights abuses,' Rodney Dixon, Altayeb's legal counsel, said.
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'The UK cannot stand idly by in the face of such abuses and must act now. The application of such sanctions on these key individuals is essential to deter further crimes and protect the lives of countless civilians in Sudan.'
Altayeb said that the suffering he endured 'stands as a testament to the cruelty and abuse of so many at the hands of the RSF, which was aided and abetted by the UAE.
'There is no excuse for inaction and the UK must immediately apply sanctions in order to ensure respect for human rights and protect the lives of millions of innocent civilians in Sudan.'
Middle East Eye understands that other RSF detainees are set to come forward and call for sanctions on individuals connected to the paramilitary.
The war in Sudan has led to what has been described as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with more than 12 million people forced to flee their homes.