A United Nations and US report describes him as a participant in genocide, while several other commanders have been convicted by the International Criminal Court. After years of violence, “Hemedti” built a paramilitary network and a powerful economic empire, benefiting from gold mines and international connections, especially with the United Arab Emirates and Russia’s Wagner Group.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, known as “Hemedti,” has become a major figure in Sudan’s political scene, with his paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now controlling half the country. The RSF scored a major victory when it captured the town of al-Fasher, the last stronghold of the Sudanese army and its allies in western Darfur. Feared and hated by his opponents, “Hemedti” is admired by his supporters for his determination, toughness and promise to overthrow a discredited state. He hails from the Rizeigat Arab pastoralist community, which lives between Chad and Darfur.
After a difficult youth, he became involved in the camel trade and then became involved in the paramilitary structures operating in Darfur during the conflicts of the early 2000s.
During the years of Janjaweed violence, “Hemedti” participated in attacks on villages of the Fur and Masal ethnic groups, becoming known for horrific crimes. A United Nations and US report describes him as participating in genocide, while several other commanders have been convicted by the International Criminal Court. After the years of violence, “Hemedti” built a paramilitary network and a powerful economic empire, benefiting from gold mines and international connections, especially with the United Arab Emirates and Russia’s Wagner Group. In 2013, he took over the leadership of the RSF, bringing Janjaweed units within his own structures with new weapons and equipment.
When mass protests against Omar al-Bashir’s regime erupted in 2019, “Hemedti” initially presented himself as a defender of democracy, but then RSF attacked citizens, killing hundreds and committing serious crimes, according to Human Rights Watch. However, he has denied responsibility for these acts.
In 2023, after clashes with the Sudanese army under the command of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the RSF surrounded the main army bases and the National Palace in Khartoum, paving the way for a massive conflict. The violence spread to Darfur, where thousands of civilians were killed. The RSF looted cities, markets and universities, and illegal trade emerged in the so-called “Dagolo markets”. Now, with the capture of el-Fasher, the RSF controls almost all of the inhabited territory west of the Nile. “Hemedti” has created what he calls the “Government of Peace and Unity” and often seems to aim to create a parallel state or control Sudan through his military and economic power, while the massacres of civilians continue.
This conflict highlights the great challenges facing Sudan today: a divided, war-torn country, where the paramilitary forces of “Hemedti” continue to dominate not only politics and the economy, but also people’s lives… while the world seems powerless to stop the abuses!
