Assets will be frozen and travel bans imposed on rivals of the two powers fighting for control of the Darfur region.
The EU intends to sanction six Sudanese military figures fuelling the conflict that has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, European diplomats said.
According to three EU diplomats, the list includes three members of the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and three members of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). Their assets will be frozen and they will be subject to travel bans. EU officials confirmed the names on Tuesday, but the final list is still subject to change.
According to the UN, more than 9 million people have fled their homes since fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese army broke out in April 2023, creating the world’s largest “displacement crisis”.
According to a report by Médecins Sans Frontières, fears are growing for the people of El Fasher in North Darfur, which is besieged by RSF forces and the scene of “heavy fighting”. The town’s population of 1.5 million includes 800,000 refugees who were forced to flee their homes during the 2003-5 Darfur war or in the past year.
UN agencies warned last week that the people of Sudan are at “imminent risk of famine”. Eighteen million people are starving, including 3.6 million children.
