Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, leads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, a militia that now controls roughly half the country amid a civil war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people. Once a low-ranking fighter in the Arab militias of Darfur, Hemedti is orchestrating a campaign of atrocities against non-Arab communities while clashing with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief and de facto head of state. The RSF recently captured El Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in Darfur, as the International Criminal Court investigates reports of killings and sexual assaults by Hemedti’s forces.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has split Sudan in two and threatens to escalate further along the strategic Kordofan region, linking Hemedti’s Darfur base to army-held eastern territories, including the capital Khartoum. The struggle between Hemedti and Burhan stems from the 2019 overthrow of long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir, during which the two men were allies. Tensions rose when the army sought to integrate Hemedti’s militia, threatening his lucrative empire built on gold mining and mercenary contracts. Both sides enjoy powerful foreign backing: Hemedti has close ties to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Russia, while Burhan is supported by Egypt, Turkey, and occasionally Iran.
Hemedti’s rise began on the Darfur-Chad border, where he traded camels before joining Arab militias in retaliation for the killing of relatives during bandit raids. His unit participated in the 2003 Darfur crackdown, then known as the Janjaweed, which later evolved into the RSF. The brutality of the campaign has been widely documented, and famine has already been confirmed in Darfur and Kordofan, with humanitarian agencies warning of further spread if the fighting continues.
The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire, with Secretary-General António Guterres urging international actors to use their influence to halt the violence. Meanwhile, videos of RSF attacks continue to circulate online, echoing the atrocities of the early 2000s, and raising urgent questions about the future of Sudan’s stability and the safety of its civilian population.
