A Sudanese anti-terrorism court has sentenced Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, to death in absentia over the killing of former West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdallah Abakar.

The ruling, issued on Sunday by the Anti-Terrorism and Crimes Against the State Court in Port Sudan, marks the first judicial verdict against the RSF leader since the outbreak of the conflict between Sudan's Armed Forces and the paramilitary group in April 2023.

The court also handed death sentences in absentia to RSF Deputy Commander Abdel Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, Hemedti's brother, along with 14 other defendants.

Among those convicted were Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, commonly known as Al-Qoni, another brother of Hemedti; Abdel Rahman Juma, the RSF commander in West Darfur; and tribal leader Al-Tijani Al-Tahir Karshoum.

The defendants were convicted on multiple charges, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and crimes against persons and property.

According to the court's ruling, Hemedti was found responsible for planning and directing the crimes, while his deputy was convicted of participating in their planning and execution.

The case centers on the killing of Khamis Abdallah Abakar, the governor of West Darfur, who was killed on June 14, 2023, shortly after publicly accusing the RSF of attacking civilians in the state capital, El Geneina.

Sudan's government alleged that RSF fighters abducted and killed Abakar before mutilating his body.

The RSF denied responsibility for the killing when the allegations first emerged.

Sudanese authorities and several international organizations have accused the RSF of committing widespread abuses during the fighting in El Geneina.

The allegations include the killing of hundreds of civilians, attacks targeting members of the Masalit community, and the forced displacement of thousands of residents.

Human rights organizations have described the violence in West Darfur as among the most severe episodes of the ongoing conflict.

Sudan has remained engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF over disagreements surrounding the integration of the paramilitary force into the national military.

The war has since evolved into one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, leaving tens of thousands of people dead, displacing millions, and devastating large parts of the country.

The latest court ruling represents a significant legal development in Sudan's efforts to pursue accountability for crimes committed during the conflict, although the sentences are unlikely to be enforced unless the convicted individuals are taken into custody. (ILKHA)