Sudanese court on Sunday sentenced Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) and 15 other defendants to death in absentia after convicting them in connection with the killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Abkar and crimes committed in El Geneina.
The ruling, issued by the Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court in Port Sudan, marks the first judicial verdict against Hemedti since the outbreak of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF on 15th April 2023.
The court sentenced Hemedti, his deputy and brother Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, and other defendants to death by hanging.
According to the court, the defendants were convicted under provisions relating to war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes against persons and property during armed conflict, and genocide.
The judgment held Hemedti responsible for planning and directing the crimes, while Abdel Rahim Dagalo was found guilty of planning and participating in them.
Among the other defendants were Al-Qouni Hamdan Al-Qouni, another brother of Hemedti, Abdel-Rahman Jumaa, the RSF commander in West Darfur, and tribal leader Al-Tijani Al-Taher Karshoum.
Governor Khamis Abdullah Abkar was killed on 14th June 2023. At the time, the Sudanese government accused the RSF of killing him and desecrating his body. The RSF denied responsibility for the killing.
The Sudanese government, the United Nations, and several international organizations have accused the RSF of committing widespread abuses in El Geneina, including killings, forced displacement, and attacks targeting members of the Masalit community. The RSF has rejected allegations that it committed atrocities or genocide.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF has become one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with tens of thousands of people killed and an estimated 13 million displaced since fighting began in April 2023.
The RSF currently controls most of Darfur, while the Sudanese Armed Forces retain control over much of the rest of the country, including Khartoum.
By Middle East Eye
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