A Sudanese court has sentenced Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, to death in absentia after finding him guilty of crimes linked to violence in West Darfur, including the killing of the state's former governor, Khamis Abdallah Abakar.
The ruling was delivered by the Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court in Port Sudan. The court also sentenced RSF deputy commander Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo and 14 other members of the paramilitary group to death. All were tried in absentia because they remain outside areas controlled by the Sudanese government.
Prosecutors accused the defendants of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during attacks in West Darfur after fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF in April 2023. The charges focused on violence in and around El Geneina, where thousands of civilians were killed or displaced.
The case centred on the killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abakar, who was killed in June 2023 shortly after publicly accusing the RSF of carrying out what he described as genocide against the Masalit community. Videos circulated on social media showing armed men surrounding the governor before his death was confirmed.
During the opening of the trial earlier this year, Sudan's Attorney General Al-Fatih Tayfour said the proceedings were intended to ensure accountability for those accused of serious crimes.
"This case underscores the rule of law," Tayfour told the court as prosecutors presented their case against the accused.
The court concluded that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to convict Dagalo and the other defendants for crimes committed during the conflict in West Darfur. As none of the accused appeared before the court, the sentences were issued in absentia.
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 following disagreements between the country's military leadership and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the national army. The dispute quickly escalated into a nationwide war, with Darfur becoming one of the regions hardest hit by the violence.
International organisations have repeatedly reported widespread human rights violations during the conflict. United Nations investigators have said the pattern of attacks in Darfur bore what they described as the "hallmarks of genocide."
The United States has also accused the RSF of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on Dagalo over his alleged role in the conflict.
Human rights organisations have documented killings, sexual violence, forced displacement and attacks targeting ethnic communities in West Darfur. Many of the reported atrocities occurred in El Geneina, forcing large numbers of residents to flee to neighbouring Chad.
The RSF has denied deliberately targeting civilians or committing genocide, maintaining that it has been fighting the Sudanese army and allied armed groups. The paramilitary force had not issued an official response to the court's ruling at the time of publication.
Although the judgment marks one of the strongest legal actions taken by Sudanese authorities against the RSF leadership since the war began, the sentences are unlikely to be enforced immediately because Dagalo and the other convicted commanders remain outside government-controlled territory.
The ruling nevertheless adds to growing efforts to hold those accused of serious crimes during Sudan's conflict accountable. The war has displaced millions of people, killed thousands and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, while repeated mediation efforts have yet to secure a lasting ceasefire.
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