A Sudanese paramilitary commander, whose role in the el-Fasher massacre was revealed by BBC Verify, has been sanctioned by the UK government.


Brig Gen Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, also known as Abu Lulu, was filmed shooting dead at least 10 unarmed captives after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the city in late October.


Thousands of people are believed to have been killed by the RSF after the army withdrew from el-Fasher. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the atrocities taking place in Sudan were a scar on the conscience of the world which cannot, and will not, go unpunished.


The UK has also sanctioned three other RSF commanders, including deputy head Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo.


Dagalo, who was also placed under EU sanctions in November, was shown in verified footage touring an army base in the city in the hours after el-Fasher fell. He is the brother of RSF chief Mohamed Hemedti Dagalo.


Sudan's civil war - sparked after the RSF and the military's fragile ruling coalition collapsed - has now raged for more than two years, killing hundreds of thousands of people and displacing millions more.


El-Fasher was the army's last major stronghold in Darfur, the traditional stronghold of the RSF paramilitary.


An investigation by BBC Verify revealed the brutal tactics used by the RSF during the protracted siege, which included detaining and torturing people trying to smuggle supplies into the city and building a massive sand barrier around it to prevent civilians and army troops from escaping.


In its statement announcing the sanctions, the UK foreign office stated that Abu Lulu was responsible for violence against individuals based on ethnicity and religion, and the deliberate targeting of civilians.


Footage confirmed by BBC Verify in October showed Abu Lulu executing several unarmed captives with an AK-style rifle in a sandy, dusty area north-west of the city. RSF troops who witnessed the incidents were later seen celebrating their commander's actions.


UK officials accused Abu Lulu, Dagalo, Gedo Hamdan Ahmed and Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed of carrying out heinous acts of violence, including mass killings, systematic sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians. The men have been placed under travel bans and any assets they hold will be frozen.


Today's sanctions against RSF commanders strike directly at those with blood on their hands, while our strengthened aid package will deliver lifesaving support to those suffering, Cooper stated.


Citing satellite images - published by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab - the foreign office mentioned that piles of bodies and mass graves could be seen in el-Fasher after the massacre.


Cooper also pledged an additional £21m for food, shelter, and health services for civilians impacted by fighting in remote areas.


In the aftermath of the massacre, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hemedti Dagalo acknowledged that his troops had committed violations and promised that the incidents would be investigated.


Abu Lulu was among those arrested. In a carefully edited video posted on the RSF's official Telegram account, he is shown being led into a cell at a prison near el-Fasher. The commander, previously featured in propaganda videos, has not been seen since his arrest. A TikTok account chronicling his activities was removed after inquiry from BBC Verify.


The UK's decision followed the US's announcement of sanctions against a network accused of recruiting Colombian soldiers to fight in Sudan. The US Treasury reported that hundreds of Colombian mercenaries have traveled to Sudan to serve as infantry and drone pilots for the RSF.


US President Donald Trump recently pledged to collaborate with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to address the tremendous atrocities occurring in Sudan.