Khartoum: The Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court in Port Sudan, under the leadership of Special Judge Mohamed Al-Amin, has sentenced Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, and 15 other RSF members to death by hanging in absentia. This verdict comes in connection to the killing of West Darfur Wali Khamis Abakar and other violations, with the individuals being convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
According to Sudan News Agency, the judgment detailed the severe nature of the crimes committed, emphasizing their classification as crimes against humanity. These offenses were carried out as part of a widespread and systematic attack on civilians, with a coordinated criminal strategy aimed at exterminating a specific ethnic group. The judge highlighted that vulnerable populations, including women, children, and the elderly, were targeted, even within hospital settings. The crimes included the use of heavy weaponry in civilian areas, body mutilation, looting, arson, rape, and forced displacement under dire humanitarian conditions.
The judgment further noted that the crimes were driven by ethnic hatred, specifically targeting the Masalit community for extermination and displacement. This was compounded by the deliberate destruction of infrastructure, a clear violation of international humanitarian law. The actions of the convicted were described as an abuse of state power, utilizing state weapons intended for citizen protection to commit these crimes, resulting in massive loss of life and the destruction of a city's cultural and historical legacy.
The court highlighted the necessity of imposing the maximum penalty due to the gravity of the crimes, emphasizing the importance of general and specific deterrence to protect civilians and honor the memory of the victims. The ruling aligns with international obligations under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the 1949 Geneva Conventions, both of which mandate the prosecution and punishment of genocide perpetrators.
The sentences were issued under various articles of the 1991 Criminal Act, with specific charges against each convict. Additionally, the court ordered Interpol to arrest and extradite the convicted individuals and mandated the confiscation of all assets and properties belonging to the Rapid Support Forces militia for the Government of Sudan.