A Sudanese court has dealt the toughest legal blow yet against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), sentencing its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, and 15 senior commanders to death in absentia after convicting them of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the violence that devastated West Darfur.
The Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court, sitting in Port Sudan, found the RSF leadership responsible for crimes committed during the conflict that erupted in April 2023. The accused were tried in absentia because they remain outside areas controlled by the Sudanese government.
The case focused on attacks carried out in and around El Geneina, where prosecutors said thousands of civilians were killed or forced to flee their homes. The charges also included the June 2023 killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abakar, who had publicly accused the RSF of committing genocide against the Masalit community shortly before he was killed.
Judges ruled that the defendants organised attacks on civilians, looted and destroyed property, and targeted schools, places of worship and residential neighbourhoods during the fighting.
Those convicted include Hemedti's deputy and brother Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, another brother Al-Qoni Hamdan Dagalo, and West Darfur commander Abdul Rahman Juma Barkallah.
Special Judge Mohamed Al-Amin ordered the seizure of RSF assets and directed authorities to seek Interpol Red Notices to facilitate the arrest and extradition of all those convicted.
Addressing the court during the trial, Sudan's Attorney General Al-Fatih Tayfour said the proceedings were intended to ensure accountability for those facing serious criminal charges.
"This case underscores the rule of law."
After reviewing the evidence, the court concluded that prosecutors had proved their case against the accused and convicted all 16 defendants.
The ruling is the first time Sudan's judiciary has convicted the RSF's top leadership since the country's civil war began. However, its immediate impact remains uncertain because Hemedti and the other commanders remain outside government-held territory, and Hemedti's whereabouts are unknown.
The RSF had not responded to the judgment by the time of publication. The group has consistently denied accusations of war crimes, genocide and deliberately targeting civilians, insisting it has been fighting the Sudanese army and allied forces.
International investigators have repeatedly accused the RSF of grave abuses in Darfur. Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court's deputy chief prosecutor said investigators had obtained "concrete evidence" linking RSF leaders to war crimes.
A Human Rights Watch report released in May 2024 said attacks in and around El Geneina between April and November 2023 killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The organisation said the campaign amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of an ethnic cleansing operation targeting the Masalit and other non-Arab communities.
The United Nations has also documented widespread abuses by both the RSF and the Sudanese army, saying civilians and critical infrastructure, including health facilities, were repeatedly targeted during the conflict.
Sudan descended into war in April 2023 after a power struggle between army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Hemedti. The conflict has killed more than 150,000 people, displaced about 12 million and left an estimated 28 million in urgent need of food assistance, with peace efforts yet to produce a lasting ceasefire.