UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on four commanders of Sudan’s warring paramilitary force suspected of atrocities against civilians that U.N. experts said showed “hallmarks of genocide.”
The four commanders in the Rapid Support Forces, which have been at war with the Sudanese military since 2023, were added to the blacklist for their activities in el-Fasher, especially on Oct. 26, the day the paramilitary force took over the North Darfur capital.
The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the four commanders in December, and Tuesday’s designations follow a report last week by U.N.-backed human rights experts. They reported that the RSF carried out mass killings and other atrocities in el-Fasher after an 18-month siege, during which they imposed conditions “calculated to bring about the physical destruction” of non-Arab communities.
U.N. officials say several thousand civilians were killed in the RSF takeover of el-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s only remaining stronghold in the vast western Darfur region. Only 40% of the city's 260,000 residents managed to flee the onslaught and thousands of them were wounded, the officials said. The fate of the rest remains unknown.
Those now facing U.N. travel bans and financial freezes include two RSF deputy commanders, Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo and Lt. Gen. Gedo Hamdan Ahmed.
Dagalo, whose brother is the RSF commander, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, was identified as being at a base in el-Fasher on the day of the paramilitary takeover, according to the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on Sudan.
“Footage believed to be of Dagalo shows him giving direct orders to his fighters to not take captives but to kill everyone,” the committee said. “Dagalo has previously been described as playing a key role in many of the offensives that the military and RSF undertook in Sudan’s border regions, and is seen as the commander in control of the RSF.”
The committee said the violence included targeted executions of non-Arabs and reports of widespread sexual violence, including gang rapes in front of relatives, and kidnappings, including of medical staff being held for ransom.
Ahmed, also known as Abu Nashuk, was one of six generals in el-Fasher and was seen in video footage alongside Dagalo on Oct. 26 when the RSF committed mass killings of civilians, the U.N. committee said.
The U.N. also slapped sanctions on RSF Brig. Gen. Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, known as Abu Lulu and “the Butcher of el-Fasher,” calling him “a key perpetrator” of the violence on the day of the takeover.
“He gave orders to his men to kill innocent people, and video footage shows him executing civilians and boasting about killing over 2,000 people,” the committee said. It said videos were shot by the paramilitary forces themselves.
"Abu Lulu has filmed himself smiling and killing people while they begged for mercy, as well as videos where he makes ethnically targeted executions,” the U.N. said. “Footage shows him shooting at unarmed men and posing among corpses showing the people he has killed.”
The fourth RSF commander sanctioned this week was field commander Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed, also known as Al Zeir Salem, who also appeared in a video in el-Fasher on Oct. 26.
Cameron Hudson, a former U.S. diplomat and Sudan expert, said Wednesday in a post on X that the handful of others sanctioned by the U.N. this week were members of the Janjaweed. The RSF, which was formed in 2013, grew out of the Janjaweed militia, which fought in Darfur since the early 2000s in a ruthless campaign against the region’s non-Arab tribes and rebels. He urged the U.N. to “sanction the entire group as what they are: terrorists.”
Hudson told The Associated Press the sanctions are “an important step in the U.N. reasserting a role for itself in Sudan” and it should see it as a moment to redouble efforts to end the fighting and ensure accountability for the RSF offenses.
Associated Press writer Sam Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
This story was corrected to make clear that the RSF commander, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, was not among the four commanders sanctioned by the U.N.
FILE - A Sudanese child, who fled el-Fasher city with family after Sudan's paramilitary forces attacked the western Darfur region, receives treatment at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abaker, File)
FILE - Al Shafiea Abdallah Holy, an injured Sudanese man who fled el-Fasher city after Sudan's paramilitary forces attacked the western Darfur region, receives medical care at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abaker, File)
FILE - Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, center, greets the crowd during a military-backed tribes' rally in the Nile River State of Sudan, on Saturday, July 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Hjaj,File)
MADRID (AP) — After being loudly booed, Vinícius Júnior danced again. This time in front of Real Madrid supporters while leading his team to the round of 16 of the Champions League, a week after accusing a Benfica opponent of racially insulting him.
Vinícius scored an 80th-minute goal to give Madrid a 2-1 victory and a 3-1 aggregate win over Benfica at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the second leg of the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday.
Vinícius celebrated by dancing by the corner flag just like in the first leg — then in front of Benfica fans — which ignited a confrontation with Benfica players and the accusation that Gianluca Prestianni called him “monkey.”
“That’s our Vinícius,” said Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who scored Madrid’s first goal in the 16th, a couple of minutes after Benfica had taken the lead through Rafa Silva.
Prestianni, who has denied racially insulting Vinícius and has been defended by Benfica, was provisionally suspended one match by UEFA and did not play on Wednesday even though the Argentine traveled to the Spanish capital. UEFA earlier Wednesday rejected Benfica’s last-minute appeal against the provisional suspension.
Last week’s match was halted for nearly 10 minutes after the referee installed the anti-racism protocol following Vinícius’ complaint to him.
On Wednesday, Vinícius scored on a breakaway, calmly sending a low shot past the goalkeeper for his sixth goal in his last five matches for Madrid.
“I'm happy that Vini is dancing,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said. “Because if he's dancing, it means that he is scoring.”
The more than 3,000 Benfica fans at the Bernabeu had jeered nearly every time Vinícius touched the ball early on. At one point, they celebrated when Vinicius lost control of the ball. The Benfica supporters also booed emphatically when the name of the Brazilian player was announced in the starting lineup ahead of the match.
The boos gradually lost force as the match went on and Madrid took control of the game.
Last week, a few Benfica fans were seen doing monkey gestures from the stands after the match at the Stadium of Light.
Vinícius also participated in the buildup of what would have been Madrid's second goal in the first half but it was disallowed for offside.
Before Wednesday's match, Madrid fans displayed a banner saying “No To Racism.” A “respect” banner also was shown behind one of the goals at the Bernabeu.
Madrid fans also jeered when Benfica central defender Nicolás Otamendi touched the ball. Otamendi, who is also Argentine, was one of the players that confronted Vinícius after the Brazilian's celebration by the Benfica flag.
Also missing for Benfica was coach José Mourinho, the former Madrid coach who sent off late in the first leg for complaining to the referee. Mourinho did not participate in the pre-game news conference on Tuesday, and was expected to watch the match from the stands at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid said in a statement after the match it “urgently requested” the club's disciplinary committee to open a procedure to expel a fan who was caught by television cameras performing a Nazi salute before the match.
Madrid said the supporter appeared to be part of its organized fan group behind one of the goals at the Bernabeu.
“This member was identified by the club’s security staff moments after appearing on the broadcast and was immediately expelled from the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium,” the club said. “Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society.”
Madrid defender Raúl Asencio had to be carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital for tests after a hard collision with teammate Eduardo Camavinga in the second half.
The central defender hit the ground hard and had to be attended for a few minutes on the field. The medical staff immobilized him before taking him off the field.
Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said Asencio apparently injured his neck but “it wasn't serious.”
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Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates at the end of the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior falls during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, reacts after missing a chance to score during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, and Benfica's Nicolas Otamendi, right, challenge for the ball during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior falls during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior reacts after sustaining an injury during the second leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Real Madrid and Benfica in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
