Sudan court sentences RSF leader Hemedti to death

A court in Sudan has sentenced Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ‘Hemedti’, commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to death in absentia after finding him guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in West Darfur.

The trial, held in Port Sudan under government control, also convicted 15 senior RSF leaders, including: Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti’s brother and deputy) Al-Qoni Hamdan Dagalo (another brother) Abdul Rahman Juma Barkallah (RSF commander in West Darfur)

Judge Mohamed Al‑Amin ordered RSF assets seized and requested Interpol assistance to track down those convicted.

The ruling centered on atrocities in El Geneina, West Darfur’s capital, where RSF and allied Arab militias were accused of: Attacks on civilians, destruction of infrastructure, looting property and targeting schools, places of worship, and homes

Among the victims was Khamis Abbakar, governor of West Darfur, killed in 2023.

The United Nations and human rights groups have long accused RSF of systematic violence against the Masalit community. A 2024 Human Rights Watch report documented thousands killed in El Geneina between April and November 2023, with hundreds of thousands displaced.

Since the conflict between RSF and Sudan’s army began in April 2023: 150,000+ killed, 12 million displaced and 28 million facing severe hunger

Despite the ruling, enforcement remains uncertain as RSF still controls large parts of western Sudan and Hemedti’s whereabouts are unknown.