Sudan court sentences Hemedti and 15 to death in absentia

A Sudanese court has sentenced paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, and 15 other defendants to death in absentia for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The ruling, issued on Sunday, July 12, 2026, by the Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court in Port Sudan, marks the first judicial verdict against the leadership of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the war with the Sudanese Armed Forces began in April 2023.

The convictions center on the June 14, 2023, killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar and widespread atrocities committed in the state capital, El Geneina. Abakar was killed hours after publicly accusing the RSF and allied militias of attacking civilians. The court found the defendants guilty of a range of charges, including prohibited warfare, attacks on persons and property, and genocide, specifically against the Masalit ethnic community.

Among those sentenced were Hemedti's brother and deputy, Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo; another brother, Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa (also known as Al-Qoni); the RSF commander in West Darfur, Abdel Rahman Juma Barkallah; and the state's former deputy governor, Al-Tijani Al-Tahir...