In brief
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the chief of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, was condemned to death in an absentia trial for a range of war crimes in West Darfur. The verdict, delivered by a court in Port Sudan, also involved 15 senior RSF officers and resulted in the confiscation of RSF assets. Despite the ruling, the RSF continues to control large swathes of western Sudan and its leaders remain beyond the reach of the army. The judgment underscores the breadth of atrocities committed against communities, particularly the Masalit, and represents the first legal sentencing of RSF leadership since the 2023 civil war. The conflict has already claimed over 150,000 lives, displaced 12 million people and left 28 million facing acute hunger.
Sudan's paramilitary RSF chief sentenced to death over war crimes
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the rapid support forces chief, known as Hemedti, was condemned in absentia by a court in Port Sudan to death for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Hemedti and 15 senior RSF leaders were convicted of orchestrating attacks on civilians, looting property, targeting schools and places of worship in West Darfur. The judges cited violence against the Masalit from the ethnic cleansing campaign that killed thousands and displaced many. Hemedti’s whereabouts stay unknown, with the RSF refusing comments and labeling the trial a sham.
The court ordered the confiscation of all RSF assets and demanded Interpol red notices for those condemned. The ruling marks first judicial conviction of RSF leadership since 2023 civil war, though their control over large parts of western Sudan remains intact.
More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict, and 12 million have fled their homes, while 28 million face acute hunger.
