HEMEDTI SENTENCED TO DEATH

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, has been sentenced to death in absentia after a Sudanese court convicted him of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide linked to atrocities committed in the country's western Darfur region.

The landmark ruling, delivered by the Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court in the army-controlled city of Port Sudan, also handed death sentences to 15 other senior RSF figures, including Hemedti's deputy and brother Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, another brother Al-Qoni Hamdan Dagalo, West Darfur commander Abdul Rahman Juma Barkallah, and several senior commanders and allies.

The case focused on the wave of violence that engulfed El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, where thousands of civilians were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced during attacks targeting the predominantly non-Arab Masalit community.

Among the incidents cited by the court was the June 2023 killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abakar, who had publicly accused the RSF of carrying out ethnic attacks against civilians shortly before he was murdered. Sudanese authorities alleged his body was mutilated after the killing, accusations the RSF has consistently denied.

Judge Mohamed Al-Amin found the accused guilty of planning and executing attacks on civilians, orchestrating widespread destruction and looting, and targeting homes, schools, places of worship and other civilian infrastructure. The court also ordered the confiscation of RSF assets and directed Sudanese authorities to seek Interpol Red Notices to facilitate the arrest and extradition of those convicted.

The verdict marks the first judicial conviction of the RSF's top leadership since Sudan descended into civil war in April 2023. However, its practical effect remains uncertain because Hemedti's whereabouts are unknown and the RSF continues to control large parts of western Sudan.

The Sudan Founding Alliance, a political coalition that includes the RSF, dismissed the proceedings as a "sham trial", while the RSF itself has not formally responded to the judgment but has repeatedly rejected allegations that it committed war crimes or genocide.

The ruling comes as international pressure continues to mount against the paramilitary group. Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) said investigators had gathered "concrete evidence" linking senior RSF leaders to atrocities committed in Darfur. A recent UN Fact-Finding Mission also concluded that the RSF's campaign during the siege and capture of El Fasher amounted to genocide, citing mass killings, gang rapes, abductions and the deliberate use of starvation against civilians.

The United States had already imposed sanctions on Hemedti in January 2025 after determining that RSF fighters and allied militias had committed genocide in Sudan.

The United Nations has also sanctioned Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, accusing him of threatening peace and stability in Darfur and overseeing operations during the RSF's capture of El Fasher in October 2025. UN investigators linked those operations to mass killings, ethnically targeted executions, widespread sexual violence and attacks on medical facilities.

Born around 1974 in Darfur's Mahariya branch of the Rizeigat community, Hemedti left school at an early age and built his fortune through the camel trade before expanding into Sudan's lucrative gold business.

He rose through the ranks of the notorious Janjaweed militias during the Darfur conflict before former President Omar al-Bashir formally incorporated many of those fighters into the newly created Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in 2013, appointing Hemedti as its commander.

After helping overthrow Bashir in 2019, Hemedti emerged as one of Sudan's most influential political and military figures alongside army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Their alliance later collapsed over disagreements surrounding the integration of the RSF into the national army, triggering Sudan's devastating civil war in April 2023.

Since then, the conflict has evolved into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. More than 150,000 people are estimated to have died, while over 12 million people have been displaced from their homes. Aid agencies estimate nearly 28 million people now face acute hunger.

Although international investigators have levelled some of the gravest accusations against the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces have also been accused by the United Nations of carrying out attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure during the conflict.

The war has also spilled into regional diplomacy. In early 2025, Sudan accused Kenya of undermining its sovereignty after Nairobi hosted meetings involving the RSF and allied groups seeking to establish a parallel government. Khartoum accused President William Ruto's administration of abandoning earlier diplomatic assurances, while Kenya defended the meetings as part of its broader efforts to support peace negotiations.

With fighting continuing across Darfur and Kordofan, the Port Sudan judgment represents a significant legal milestone. Whether it results in the arrest of Hemedti and other RSF leaders, however, remains uncertain as they continue to operate beyond the reach of Sudan's army-led authorities.