UK Sanctions on RSF Commanders
The World Has Acted. Australia Must Not Look Away from Sudan
The United Kingdom has acted. Australia has not.
This week, the UK Government imposed targeted sanctions on individuals responsible for atrocities in El Fasher, Sudan—atrocities that include mass killings, systematic sexual violence, and deliberate attacks on civilians carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This action reflects moral clarity and political resolve. It also places a sharp spotlight on countries that have yet to move from concern to consequence.
The crimes committed in El Fasher are not contested. They are not speculative. They are documented, corroborated, and visible from space.
Satellite imagery shows blood-stained ground, clusters of bodies, and mass graves where civilians were burned and buried. Entire neighbourhoods have been erased. Women and girls have been subjected to systematic sexual violence deliberately used as a weapon of war. Civilians have been targeted not by accident, but by design.
These are not excesses of conflict.
They are crimes against humanity.
A Deliberate Campaign of Terror
The RSF’s actions in El Fasher are not random or isolated. They form part of a calculated strategy to terrorise populations, dismantle civilian life, and seize control through fear and violence. This pattern has repeated across Darfur and beyond.
The international community no longer lacks evidence. What has been missing is consistent accountability.
The UK Government has rightly stated that these atrocities must not go unpunished. Sanctions were imposed because statements of concern, without enforcement, fail both victims and international law.
Australia cannot credibly claim ignorance.
Australia cannot credibly claim neutrality.
Australia cannot credibly champion a rules-based international order while declining to act when that order is being systematically violated.
Inaction Is a Choice — and It Carries Consequences
Every day without consequences emboldens perpetrators. Every delay signals tolerance. Every carefully worded statement that avoids action deepens the sense of abandonment felt by victims.
Australia has Magnitsky-style sanctions legislation.
Australia has intelligence partnerships.
Australia has diplomatic reach and influence.
The question is no longer whether Australia can act, but whether it will.
The Sudanese community in Australia is watching. Civil society is watching. Our international partners are watching. History will record not intentions, but actions.
What Australia Must Now Do
The Malak Foundation calls on the Australian Government to take immediate, concrete, and public steps by:
Imposing targeted sanctions on RSF commanders and affiliated entities responsible for atrocities in Sudan
Publicly recognising that the RSF’s actions in El Fasher constitute systematic and deliberate attacks on civilians
Aligning with the United Kingdom and like-minded partners to ensure sanctions are coordinated, enforced, and effective
Supporting international accountability mechanisms, including investigations that lead to prosecution, not prolonged delay
These measures are not radical. They are consistent with Australia’s stated values and existing legal frameworks.
A Moment That Tests Australia’s Credibility
Australia has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to protecting civilians, preventing mass atrocities, and upholding international law. Sudan now tests whether those commitments endure when enforcement is politically complex.
The evidence is overwhelming.
The perpetrators are known.
The victims remain at risk.
The United Kingdom has demonstrated that action is possible and necessary.
Australia now has an opportunity to show leadership—not through rhetoric, but through resolve.
The Malak Foundation urges the Australian Government to engage decisively, align with its international partners, and ensure that those responsible for atrocities in Sudan face real and meaningful consequences.
El Fasher cannot be ignored.
Sudan cannot be deferred.
This moment demands action—not statements.
