Sudan court sentences RSF leader to death in absentia

A Sudanese anti-terrorism court sentenced Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, to death in absentia Sunday over the killing of former West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abakar.

The Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court in Port Sudan also handed death sentences in absentia to RSF deputy leader Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, Hemedti’s brother, and 14 other defendants.

The ruling marks the first court verdict against the RSF leader since the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group erupted in April 2023.

The court convicted the defendants on charges including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes against persons and property.

It held Hemedti responsible for planning and carrying out the crimes while convicting his deputy of planning and participating in them.

Among the other defendants were Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, also known as Al-Qoni, another brother of Hemedti; Abdel Rahman Juma, the RSF commander in West Darfur; and tribal leader Al-Tijani Al-Tahir Karshoum.

Abkar was killed on June 14, 2023 after accusing the RSF of attacking civilians in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina. Sudan’s government accused the paramilitary group of killing him and mutilating his body, allegations the RSF denied at the time.

Sudanese authorities and international organizations have accused the RSF of committing widespread atrocities in El Geneina, including the killing of hundreds and the displacement of thousands of members of the Masalit community.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the military. The war has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions of others.