Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, known as Hemedti, has risen from humble beginnings as a camel and gold trader to become a powerful warlord commanding the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which now control approximately half of Sudan following the recent capture of el-Fasher. This development underscores his transformation into a dominant figure amid an ongoing civil war that has devastated the country and drawn international condemnation.
Hemedti’s origins lie in the Mahariya section of the Rizeigat community, a camel-herding group spanning Chad and Darfur, where he was born around 1974-75 without formal birth registration. After dropping out of school in his early teens, he earned money trading camels across deserts to Libya and Egypt, operating in Darfur’s lawless and neglected environment under then-President Omar al-Bashir. His entry into militancy began with the Janjaweed, Arab militias mobilized by Bashir to counter insurgencies, and he quickly gained notoriety for atrocities, including the destruction of Adwa village in 2004 that killed 126 people.
Despite international accusations of genocide and a U.S. investigation labeling the Janjaweed responsible, Hemedti avoided prosecution as a junior commander. He skillfully navigated politics, briefly mutinying for better terms before realigning with Bashir, who formalized the RSF in 2013 with Hemedti as its leader. The RSF absorbed Janjaweed elements, gaining uniforms, vehicles, and weapons, while Hemedti’s family company, Al-Gunaid, capitalized on gold mining, becoming Sudan’s largest exporter after he seized control of Darfur’s biggest artisanal mine.
International partnerships further bolstered his power, including private deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE to supply RSF mercenaries for conflicts like Yemen, and an alliance with Russia’s Wagner Group for training and gold trade. These connections provided funding and modern weaponry, such as sophisticated drones used in recent battles. In 2019, Hemedti played a pivotal role in deposing Bashir amid pro-democracy protests but soon revealed his authoritarian tendencies when the RSF unleashed violence, killing hundreds and committing atrocities like rape and executions.
The fallout with army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan escalated into full-scale war in April 2023 after Hemedti resisted subordinating the RSF to army command. The conflict has ravaged Sudan, with the RSF accused of genocide in Darfur, where UN estimates suggest up to 15,000 civilians died, and widespread looting that spawned “Dagolo markets” selling pillaged goods across the region. Hemedti was injured early in the fighting but reappeared months later, unrepentant and determined to win on the battlefield.
Currently, the RSF holds most territory west of the Nile, including el-Fasher, and Hemedti has formed a parallel “Government of Peace and Unity” while engaging in a strategic stalemate with the army. Investigative reports indicate the UAE built a supply base in Chad for RSF weapons, though the UAE denies involvement. Hemedti’s ambitions range from leading a breakaway state to ruling all of Sudan, leveraging his conglomerate of businesses, mercenary army, and political machine.
As his troops face allegations of mass killings in el-Fasher, Hemedti has declared investigations but operates with a sense of impunity, confident that global indifference allows his reign to persist. The conflict has forced millions to flee, exacerbating humanitarian crises, and with no end in sight, Hemedti’s rise symbolizes the fragmentation of Sudan and the perils of unaccountable paramilitary power in a region fraught with instability.