An anti-terrorism court based in Port Sudan has issued death sentences in absentia against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, following the assassination of former West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abakar. The court also handed down capital punishment to 16 other individuals, including Hemedti’s brother and deputy, Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo.
This judicial ruling represents the first formal verdict against the paramilitary leader since the onset of the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF in April 2023. The presiding court convicted the defendants on a range of serious charges, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and various offenses against persons and property. Hemedti was found responsible for planning and executing these crimes, while his deputy and other key figures—such as RSF commander in West Darfur Abdel Rahman Juma, another of Hemedti's brothers named Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, and tribal leader Al-Tijani Al-Tahir Karshoum—were convicted for their roles in planning and participation.
The legal action stems from the killing of Governor Abakar on June 14, 2023. Prior to his death, Abakar had publicly accused the RSF of perpetrating attacks against civilians in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur. While the Sudanese government alleged that the paramilitary group killed the official and subsequently mutilated his body, the RSF denied these claims at the time. Both international organizations and local authorities have frequently accused the RSF of committing widespread atrocities within El Geneina, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people and the mass displacement of the Masalit community.
The broader conflict, which began in April 2023 due to disputes over the integration of the RSF into the national military, has triggered one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally. The ongoing war has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of Sudanese civilians.
