Sudan indicts Hemedti and brother for mass atrocities

Sudanese authorities have indicted Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and his brother Abdel Rahim Dagalo, in absentia on charges including the killing of Darfur’s governor and genocide linked to mass ethnic violence in the region .

The charges stem from the abduction and killing of West Darfur governor Khamis Abakar in June 2023, whose dismembered body was circulated online, escalating domestic and international outrage. Alongside them, 14 RSF members have been implicated in the case.

This indictment comes as the United States formally declared that the RSF has committed genocide, citing systematic ethnic killings and sexual violence against groups such as the Masalit in Darfur . High-ranking sanctions were imposed on Hemedti and two of his brothers, including Abdel Rahim, along with several RSF-linked companies .

Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has signaled plans to seek arrest warrants for perpetrators of atrocity crimes in West Darfur, noting disturbing parallels with the genocide of the early 2000s .

The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions and caused tens of thousands of fatalities. With famine and widespread destruction ravaging communities, global bodies are pressing for accountability and justice to break the cycle of impunity in Sudan .