Sudan opens trial against Hemedti in Darfur governor's killing

A Sudanese court in Port Sudan began the trial in absentia of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, on Sunday, over the killing of West Darfur governor Khamis Abkar in June 2023.

The trial also includes Dagalo’s brother and deputy, Abdel Rahim Dagalo, and 14 other RSF members. Sudan’s Attorney General al-Fateh Tayfour has accused the group of kidnapping and killing Abkar, whose mutilated body appeared in a video that circulated online following his abduction.

Also facing charges is Abkar’s deputy, Tijani Al-Tahir Karshom, who is accused of participating in the killing. According to Tayfour, the RSF "liquidated" Abkar and his guards at an RSF base, allegedly with the involvement of local commander Abdel Rahman Juma Barak Allah.

Tayfour labelled the murder an act of "treason", citing the RSF’s broader campaign against the state. The presiding judge has called for the maximum penalty for the accused, which could include life imprisonment or the death penalty.

The trial comes amid Sudan’s ongoing war, which erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces. The conflict has devastated much of the country, including the capital Khartoum, recently retaken by the army, and the western region of Darfur.

The RSF’s actions in Darfur have been labelled a genocide by both Sudan’s government and the United States. Washington has also accused the Sudanese military of committing war crimes.

According to the United Nations, tens of thousands have been killed since the war began, and over 13 million people have been displaced.