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 foothold 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 said it believed 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.