Australia has imposed asset freezes and travel bans on four Sudanese individuals and one armed group, targeting those accused of serious human rights abuses in the country’s ongoing conflict. The measures, announced on November 5, 2026, by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, are international sanctions against commanders from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sanctions Target Key Military Figures
The sanctions specifically target SAF Commander in Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, West Darfur’s de facto governor Al-Tijani Al-Tahir Karshoum, and RSF commander Hussein Barsham. All four face asset freezes and travel bans, prohibiting them from entering Australia and restricting access to their assets under Australian jurisdiction. A separate financial sanctions order was also issued against the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, an armed group aligned with Sudan’s military.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have committed serious human rights violations and abuses, including attacks on civilians, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and extrajudicial killings,
Wong said in a statement. Those responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses must be held to account.
The move builds on sanctions Australia previously imposed on 13 individuals under the United Nations Security Council’s Sudan sanctions framework. It also follows similar actions by the United States, which sanctioned Dagalo and al-Burhan, and Canada, which imposed restrictions on both commanders.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Despite International Aid
The sanctions come as Sudan’s civil war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, continues to devastate the country. According to figures cited by Australia’s foreign ministry, hundreds of thousands have been killed and more than 14 million displaced. The crisis is so severe that almost 34 million people—over 70 per cent of Sudan’s population—are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Despite international funding, the humanitarian response remains underfunded. Based on data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Sudan’s humanitarian response received an estimated US$6.23 billion. This includes US$1.32 billion in 2023, US$1.8 billion in 2024, US$1.67 billion in 2025 and US$1.44 billion in 2026. Yet, by November 5, 2026, this year’s response plan had secured only about half of its US$2.87 billion requirement.
In response, Australia has provided over $67 million in humanitarian assistance, supporting food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, and protection services. To ensure sanctions do not obstruct relief efforts, Wong also issued a humanitarian permit allowing specified aid activities that would otherwise be restricted.
Australia unequivocally condemns violence against civilians and humanitarian personnel,
Wong stated. “We call on all parties to the conflict to agree to an immediate and permanent ceasefire, to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel, and to allow and facilitate full, safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access, in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
Earlier coverage: Australia Sanctions Sudanese Individuals Over Rights Violations
