A Sudanese court in Port Sudan handed down death sentences to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander-in-chief of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and 15 senior RSF officers for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide linked to atrocities in West Darfur. The verdict was delivered in absentia.
The proceedings focused on attacks in the regional capital el‑Geneina, including the June 2023 killing of Governor Khamis Abbakar. The court found the defendants guilty of orchestrating attacks on civilians, widespread destruction, looting, and targeting schools, places of worship and residential neighbourhoods.
Among those sentenced were Dagalo’s brother and deputy, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, another brother, Al‑Qoni Hamdan Dagalo, and the RSF’s West Darfur commander, Abdul Rahman Juma Barkallah.
The RSF has not issued a statement in response to the verdict, although it has previously denied allegations of war crimes. Special Judge Mohamed Al‑Amin ordered the confiscation of all RSF assets and directed authorities to seek Interpol Red Notices for the arrested individuals.
This ruling marks the first judicial conviction of RSF leadership since the civil war began, though the group continues to control large areas of western Sudan and its leaders remain beyond the army’s reach.
UN investigators and human rights organisations have accused the RSF and allied Arab militias of carrying out ethnically targeted attacks against the Masalit population in Darfur. Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court’s deputy chief prosecutor confirmed concrete evidence linking RSF leaders to war crimes.
In May 2024, Human Rights Watch reported that the campaign in and around el‑Geneina between April and November 2023 killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands, constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Masalit and other non‑Arab communities.
Both the Sudanese army and the RSF have faced accusations of targeting civilians and critical infrastructure, such as medical facilities, in large‑scale attacks. The civil war erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between Army Chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan and Hemedti.
Over 150,000 people have died and roughly 12 million have fled, while around 28 million are experiencing acute hunger.