Sudanese court charges RSF leader with genocide over governor’s murder
August 4, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – A Sudanese counter-terrorism court on Monday charged the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), his two brothers, and 13 others with genocide and crimes against humanity over the killing of West Darfur’s former governor, Khamis Abdallah Abkar.
Abkar was killed on June 14, 2023, shortly after being taken into custody by the RSF. Videos later circulated showing the governor with RSF fighters, followed by graphic images of the desecration of his body.
In a statement, the Public Prosecution said the court in Port Sudan, presided over by Judge Mamoun al-Khawad, formally charged RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemetti, and his brothers Abdel Rahim and Al-Quni Dagalo, with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and looting.
Prosecutors said the charges relate to an attack on the city of El Geneina on April 15, 2023, which was led by Hemetti and targeted the Masalit tribe. The assault resulted in thousands of deaths, the displacement of hundreds of thousands to Chad, and the “brutal killing and desecration of the body” of the former governor.
Hemetti’s brother Abdel Rahim, the RSF’s second-in-command, and his other brother Al-Quni, who manages the force’s finances, were charged with criminal complicity in planning and executing the attack, prosecutors said.
The court named the RSF’s West Darfur sector commander, Abdel Rahman Juma, as a fourth defendant, accusing him of leading the direct assault on El Geneina and overseeing the governor’s killing. He is also charged with committing acts of genocide against the Masalit people, including the killing of 15,000 citizens, some of whom were allegedly buried alive.
Other defendants were accused of participating in the attack and committing acts of rape, torture, and displacement. At the same time, one man, Abdel Moneim Abdel Mahmoud al-Rabei, was charged with incitement after allegedly calling for the governor’s murder in a live broadcast on social media.
The court confirmed that the charges were issued in absentia, as the defendants and their legal representatives were not present at the court. It said the indictments were based on substantial evidence, including the testimony of 14 witnesses and seven video clips.
The case has now been reserved for a final verdict after the court hears the last testimony.