A 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.
