The men convicted remain beyond the reach of the court that sentenced them.
In Port Sudan, a Sudanese court this week formally condemned RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and fifteen of his officers to death for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed against the Masalit people of West Darfur — a verdict that names the accused but cannot yet reach them. The trial proceeded without the defendants present, as Dagalo and his forces remain beyond the court's physical authority, controlling vast stretches of western Sudan. It is a moment that history will record as a reckoning attempted, even if justice itself remains suspended between law and power. The question the verdict leaves open is one humanity has long struggled to answer: what does accountability mean when those condemned continue to govern by force?
- A Sudanese court sentenced RSF leader Hemedti and 15 commanders to death in absentia — the first formal conviction of RSF leadership since the civil war began in April 2023.
- The charges center on a systematic campaign of ethnic violence against the Masalit people in el-Geneina, where thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands driven from their homes between April and November 2023.
- The RSF dismissed the proceedings as a 'sham trial,' and Dagalo's whereabouts remain unknown, leaving enforcement mechanisms effectively hollow for now.
- Interpol Red Notices and asset confiscation orders have been issued, while the ICC separately reports gathering 'concrete evidence' of RSF war crimes, opening potential international prosecution pathways.
- With over 150,000 dead, 12 million displaced, and 28 million facing acute hunger, the verdict arrives as a legal marker against a backdrop of suffering that shows no sign of abating.
A court in Port Sudan this week sentenced RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — known as Hemedti — and fifteen senior officers to death on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The convictions focused on atrocities in West Darfur, where a systematic campaign of ethnic violence devastated the Masalit people. None of the accused were present; the trial was conducted entirely in absentia.
The case anchored itself to specific horrors: the June 2023 assassination of West Darfur's state governor in el-Geneina, and a broader campaign of destruction targeting civilian neighborhoods, schools, and mosques. Human rights organizations have characterized the violence — which killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands between April and November 2023 — as ethnic cleansing carried out with deliberate intent. Among those sentenced were Hemedti's two brothers and the RSF's regional commander for West Darfur.
The court ordered asset confiscation and Interpol Red Notices for all sixteen men. But the practical weight of the verdict is uncertain. The RSF dismissed the proceedings as a sham, Hemedti's location is unknown, and the group retains firm control over large parts of western Sudan. The men sentenced remain far beyond the reach of the court that condemned them.
This verdict is nonetheless the first formal judicial reckoning with RSF leadership since the civil war erupted in April 2023 — a conflict that has now claimed more than 150,000 lives, displaced 12 million people, and pushed roughly 28 million into acute hunger. The ICC has separately announced it holds concrete evidence of RSF war crimes, suggesting the arc of international accountability may yet extend further. For now, the death sentences stand as a legal record — a formal naming of responsibility — even as the violence they document continues.
A court in Port Sudan handed down death sentences this week against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, and fifteen of his senior officers. The charges were grave: war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The convictions centered on atrocities in West Darfur, a region that has become synonymous with some of the worst violence of Sudan's ongoing civil war.
The trial itself was conducted in absentia. Dagalo, known by the nickname Hemedti, was not present in the courtroom. Neither were the other fifteen men sentenced alongside him. The court, operating under the control of the Sudanese army in a city held by government forces, found all sixteen guilty of orchestrating attacks that killed civilians, destroyed homes and property, and deliberately targeted schools, mosques, and neighborhoods. Among those sentenced were Hemedti's own brother and deputy, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, another brother named Al-Qoni Hamdan Dagalo, and the RSF's commander for the West Darfur region, Abdul Rahman Juma Barkallah.
The specific incidents that anchored the case included the June 2023 killing of the state governor, Khamis Abbakar, in the regional capital of el-Geneina. But the charges went far beyond a single assassination. Investigators documented a systematic campaign of ethnic violence. The Masalit people, a non-Arab community, bore the brunt of the assault. Between April and November 2023, the violence in and around el-Geneina killed thousands and forced hundreds of thousands more to abandon their homes. Human rights organizations have characterized this as ethnic cleansing, carried out by the RSF and allied Arab militias with deliberate intent to displace or eliminate entire populations.
The court ordered the confiscation of all RSF assets and instructed authorities to seek Interpol Red Notices for the arrest and extradition of the convicted men. On paper, the machinery of international justice appeared to be moving. Yet the practical reality is far more complicated. Hemedti's current whereabouts are unknown. The RSF continues to control significant territory in western Sudan. When asked about the verdict, the Sudan Founding Alliance, a political coalition that includes the RSF, dismissed the entire proceeding as a "sham trial" unworthy of serious response. The group has consistently rejected accusations of war crimes throughout the conflict.
This conviction marks the first time a Sudanese court has formally convicted the RSF's leadership since civil war erupted in April 2023. The conflict itself began as a power struggle between the army's commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and Hemedti. In the more than three years since, the human toll has been staggering. Official counts place the death toll at over 150,000 people. Twelve million more have been displaced from their homes. Aid organizations estimate that roughly 28 million people across Sudan are now facing acute hunger.
The verdict arrives as other accountability mechanisms are also moving forward. The International Criminal Court's deputy chief prosecutor announced earlier this month that investigators have gathered "concrete evidence" linking RSF leaders to war crimes. The United Nations, meanwhile, has documented that both the army and the RSF have targeted civilians and critical infrastructure, including hospitals, in large-scale attacks. Both sides stand accused of systematic abuses.
What remains to be seen is whether a death sentence handed down in absentia by a court in territory controlled by the RSF's enemies will have any practical effect. The group shows no signs of weakening its grip on the regions it controls. The men convicted remain beyond the reach of the court that sentenced them. For now, the verdict stands as a legal marker, a formal record of accountability, even as the violence that prompted it continues to reshape the lives of millions across Sudan.
Citações Notáveis
The Sudan Founding Alliance dismissed the trial as a 'sham trial' that 'does not even deserve a comment.'— Sudan Founding Alliance (RSF political coalition)
The International Criminal Court's deputy chief prosecutor said they have 'concrete evidence' linking RSF leaders to war crimes.— ICC deputy chief prosecutor
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a court in Port Sudan matter if the RSF controls the territory where these men are hiding?
It establishes a legal record. Even if enforcement is impossible today, it creates a foundation for future accountability—and it signals that someone is documenting what happened.
The RSF called it a sham trial. Do they have a point?
The trial was conducted in absentia, which is a real limitation. But the evidence presented—thousands killed, entire communities displaced, systematic targeting of one ethnic group—that's documented by independent investigators too, not just this court.
So the ICC is doing something similar?
They're gathering their own evidence separately. If the RSF's territorial control ever weakens, or if any of these men travel outside Sudan, multiple legal systems could pursue them.
What about the people who were actually harmed? Does this verdict change anything for them?
Not immediately. The hundreds of thousands displaced from el-Geneina are still displaced. But it does mean their suffering is now part of an official record that can't be erased or denied.
How does this fit into the broader war?
It's one piece of a much larger catastrophe. The civil war has killed 150,000 people and created a hunger crisis affecting 28 million. This verdict is about accountability for one faction's crimes, but both sides have been documented committing atrocities.
Is there any chance these men will ever face trial in person?
Only if the political situation changes dramatically—if the RSF loses power, or if one of them leaves Sudan and gets arrested abroad. Right now, they're untouchable.