A Sudanese court in the army-controlled city of Port Sudan sentenced Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to death on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. He was convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to atrocities committed in West Darfur.

Alongside Hemedti, 15 other senior RSF figures received death sentences for the same charges. The RSF is a paramilitary group that has been engaged in a violent conflict with the Sudanese army since 2023.

Born around 1974 into the Mahariya branch of the Rizeigat community in Darfur, Hemedti initially gained prominence through the Janjaweed militias, predominantly Arab groups deployed by former President Omar al-Bashir’s government during the Darfur war in the early 2000s. Despite his close alliance with al-Bashir and benefiting politically and economically under his regime, Hemedti later joined Sudan’s military leadership in ousting the longtime president during the 2019 popular uprising.

Hemedti and army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan jointly removed the civilian-led transitional government in an October 2021 coup. Their alliance later fractured over the integration of the RSF into the army and control of the state, sparking the civil war that began on April 15, 2023.

The trial and sentencing in Port Sudan highlight the ongoing turmoil and accountability efforts amid Sudan’s protracted conflict.

Sources