Camel trader turned to warlord, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo’s Rapid Support Forces now dominate much of Sudan as violence escalates and global pressure grows.
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, better known as Hemedti, has vaulted from humble desert origins to become one of Sudan’s most powerful and polarizing figures. Today, his paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), controls nearly half of Sudan, marking a dramatic rise shaped by war, wealth, and alliances.
The RSF’s recent capture of el-Fasher, the last major army stronghold in Darfur, underscored Hemedti’s military dominance and dealt a symbolic blow to Sudan’s regular army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The fall of el-Fasher tightened Hemedti’s grip on western Sudan—an area already scarred by conflict and mass displacement.
Born around 1974 into a camel-herding community that straddles Chad and Sudan, Hemedti left school in his teens to trade camels across the Sahara. His military ascent began during the 2003 Darfur conflict, when then-President Omar al-Bashir armed Arab militias known as the Janjaweed to crush a rebellion by non-Arab ethnic groups. Hemedti’s unit was among the accused, linked to village massacres and human rights abuses.
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Despite being implicated in alleged war crimes, Hemedti maneuvered his way into Bashir’s inner circle. He founded the RSF in 2013, transforming Janjaweed militias into a formal paramilitary force under his command. His forces later fought rebels, controlled gold mines, and even deployed troops to Yemen under deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE—alliances that boosted his financial and political clout.
When mass protests toppled Bashir in 2019, Hemedti briefly positioned himself as a champion of change. But he soon turned his forces on demonstrators, with reports of mass killings in Khartoum. As tensions with the army leadership escalated, the fragile power-sharing arrangement collapsed in April 2023, erupting into full-scale conflict between Hemedti’s RSF and Burhan’s army.
The war has left Sudan in ruins, displacing millions and killing thousands. The UN and human rights groups have accused the RSF of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, allegations Hemedti denies. Yet the RSF’s growing use of advanced drones and foreign-supplied weapons has deepened international alarm.
Analysts say Hemedti may seek to lead a breakaway state—or a puppet government where he remains the most powerful player. For now, as fighting continues, he shows little sign of backing down, confident that global attention remains elsewhere.
