The U.S. Department of the Treasury has officially identified a Kenyan passport as a primary travel document for a top leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The disclosure came as part of a sweeping sanctions update released on February 19, 2026, by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The move targets the financial and logistical backbone of the RSF while naming three additional commanders responsible for the devastating siege of El Fasher in North Darfur.
At the center of the controversy is Algoney Hamdan Dagalo, the younger brother of RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). Algoney serves as the paramilitary group’s procurement director and is alleged to be the mastermind behind the front companies used to funnel weapons and vehicles into Sudan.
In its latest evidentiary update, the U.S. Treasury listed Algoney’s specific identification markers, including:
- Kenyan Passport: Number AK1586127.
- Emirati Identity: UAE ID number 784-1990-2131934-2.
- Business Links: His leadership of UAE-based Tradive General Trading, which has been used to procure military-grade equipment.
The revelation of a Kenyan passport provides the first official “paper trail” confirming that high-ranking RSF officials have been utilizing Kenyan national documents to move freely across borders.
While Algoney manages the finances, OFAC also leveled sanctions against three field commanders for what U.S. officials described as a “horrific campaign of terror” in Darfur. These individuals are now blocked from the U.S. financial system under Executive Order 14098:
- Elfateh Abdullah Idris Adam (Abu Lulu): An RSF Brigadier General accused of documenting himself killing unarmed civilians and boasting of massacres.
- Gedo Hamdan Ahmed Mohamed (Abu Shok): The RSF Major General for North Darfur, blamed for the 18-month siege that triggered a catastrophic famine.
- Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed (Al Zeir Salem): A field commander documented leading the capture of strategic military bases followed by civilian atrocities.
The news places President William Ruto’s administration in a difficult position. Kenya has long sought to position itself as a neutral mediator in the Sudanese conflict through the IGAD framework. However, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have frequently accused Nairobi of harboring RSF leadership, a claim the Kenyan government has previously dismissed as propaganda.
The official U.S. listing of a Kenyan passport for Hemedti’s brother provides fresh ammunition for these critics. “The use of regional travel documents by sanctioned actors suggests a level of logistical support that contradicts claims of strict neutrality,” noted one regional security analyst.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent emphasized that these designations are intended to cut off the RSF from the global financial system.
“The RSF’s actions risk further destabilizing the region and creating a vacuum for extremist groups,” Bessent stated. “By exposing the identities and travel documents used by these individuals, we are making it harder for them to hide behind front companies and foreign identities.”