Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (born c. 1974), universally known as Hemedti, is the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the primary rival to General al-Burhan. Once a camel trader who rose to become a Janjaweed leader during the Darfur genocide, Hemedti has spent 2025 formalizing a parallel government in the territories he controls, effectively splitting Sudan in two.
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Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Musa |
| Born | c. 1974, Darfur, Sudan (some sources suggest Chad) |
| Current Office | Chairman of the Presidential Council (Government of Peace and Unity) |
| Military Role | Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) |
| Headquarters | Nyala, South Darfur (Since August 2025) |
| Status in 2025 | Under U.S. sanctions for genocide; leading a “New Sudan” rival state. |
The “Government of Peace and Unity” (2025)
After losing significant ground in Khartoum and Omdurman to the SAF in early 2025, Hemedti pivoted toward establishing a de facto state in the west.
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Declaration of Statehood: On April 15, 2025 (the second anniversary of the war), Hemedti announced the formation of the Government of Peace and Unity, a parallel administration based in the RSF stronghold of Nyala.
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Inauguration: He officially took the oath of office as Chairman of the Presidential Council on August 30, 2025. While no foreign nation has formally recognized this government, it operates its own civil administration, courts, and tax collection in RSF-held Darfur and Kordofan.
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Political Vision: Hemedti frames his “New Sudan” project as a struggle for the “neglected peripheries” against the “Nile-side elites” in Khartoum. In September 2025, he released a manifesto calling for a “secular, democratic, and decentralized” federal state.
Battlefield Gains and War Crimes
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The Fall of El Fasher (October 2025): After an 18-month siege, Hemedti’s forces captured El Fasher, the last SAF stronghold in Darfur. This victory gave the RSF nearly total control over the western third of Sudan, though it was accompanied by reports of massacres and systematic sexual violence.
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Genocide Determination: In January 2025, the United States officially determined that the RSF and its allied militias committed genocide against the Masalit people and other non-Arab ethnic groups. Personal sanctions were imposed on Hemedti, freezing his international assets and banning his travel to the U.S.
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External Support: Despite international pressure, Hemedti continues to receive significant backing. Investigations throughout 2025 confirmed a “bridge of support” from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including arms supplies funneled through field hospitals in Chad.
Current Status (Christmas Day 2025)
As of December 25, 2025, Hemedti is operating from a “protected residence,” reportedly moving between Darfur and locations in the UAE and Libya.
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Call for Dialogue with Egypt: On December 23, 2025, Hemedti issued a rare direct appeal to Cairo, urging Egypt to cease its military support for the SAF (which recently included drone strikes) and instead lead a neutral mediation effort.
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Famine and Humanitarian Crisis: His administration in Darfur is currently overseeing what the UN calls the “world’s worst hunger crisis.” While Hemedti has called for “humanitarian corridors,” his forces have been accused of looting aid warehouses and blocking supplies to regions suspected of loyalty to the SAF.
Professional Profile
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The Outsider Warlord: Hemedti remains a polarizing figure; to his troops, he is a revolutionary “man of the people” challenging a corrupt military establishment; to the international community, he is the “Butcher of Darfur” responsible for the disintegration of the Sudanese state.