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The Sudanese commander known as Hemedti, previously made his fortune trading camels and gold. Today, his paramilitary Rapid Support Forces control around 50% of Sudan.

Seizing Power in Darfur

Hemedti's forces scored a significant victory by overrunning the city of el-Fasher, which was the last remaining army garrison in the Darfur area.

Hated and dreaded by his enemies, Hemedti is revered by his supporters for his tenacity and his vow to dismantle the corrupt state.

Humble Beginnings

His background is humble. He hails from the Mahariya section of the camel-herding Rizeigat community, an Arab group that spans the Chad-Sudan border region.

His birth year is approximately 1975, as is common in remote regions, his exact birth details were never recorded.

Led by his uncle Juma, his family relocated to Darfur in the late 20th century, escaping war and in search of greener pastures.

Initial Ventures

After leaving school in his early teens, Hemedti began earning by trading camels across the desert to Libya and Egypt.

At that time, Darfur was Sudan's wild west—impoverished, ignored by the regime of then-President Omar al-Bashir.

Local armed groups known as the Janjawid attacked villages of the native Fur communities, triggering a full-scale rebellion in 2003.

Rise Through Violence

As a countermeasure, Bashir massively expanded the Janjaweed to lead his counter-insurgency campaign. They soon became infamous for widespread atrocities.

Hemedti's unit was part of this, implicated in destroying the village of Adwah in November 2004, claiming the lives of 126 people, among them 36 children.

A US investigation concluded that the Janjaweed were responsible for crimes against humanity.

Strategic Maneuvering

In the years following the peak of violence in 2004, Hemedti astutely managed his ascent to become head of a influential militia, a corporate empire, and a political organization.

He briefly mutinied, requesting back-pay for his soldiers, advancements, and a government role for his sibling. Bashir granted most of his demands.

Later, when rival militias mutinied, Hemedti commanded loyalist troops that crushed them, gaining control Darfur's biggest gold mining site at Jabel Amir.

Quickly, his business venture Al-Gunaid became Sudan's largest gold exporter.

Institutionalizing Influence

By 2013, Hemedti asked for and received official recognition as commander of the new paramilitary group, answering only to Bashir.

The Janjaweed were integrated into the RSF, getting modern equipment and training.

International Connections

Hemedti's forces engaged in the Darfur conflict, struggled in the Nuba region, and accepted a role to guard the border with Libya.

Ostensibly curbing illicit migration, Hemedti's officers also engaged in corruption and human smuggling.

By 2015, Saudi Arabia and the UAE requested Sudanese troops for the Yemen conflict. Hemedti negotiated a separate deal to provide his fighters as contractors.

The Abu Dhabi connection proved most consequential, beginning a strong alliance with Emirati leadership.

Growing Power

Recruits flocked to RSF enlistment offices for signing bonuses of up to $6,000.

Hemedti formed an alliance with the Russian Wagner organization, receiving training in exchange for commercial dealings, particularly in the gold trade.

He visited Moscow coincided with the day of the invasion of Ukraine.

Political Betrayal

As protests grew, Bashir deployed Hemedti's units to the city of Khartoum, nicknaming him himayti.

It was a miscalculation. In 2019, when protesters called for change, Bashir ordered the army to open fire. Instead, the military leaders overthrew him.

For a time, Hemedti was hailed as a new leader for Sudan. He attempted to rebrand, but that lasted only weeks.

Renewed Brutality

When power wasn't transferred, Hemedti unleashed the RSF, which committed massacres, assaulted females, and allegedly drowned men in the Nile.

Hemedti has rejected that the RSF engaged in war crimes.

Under foreign pressure, the generals and civilians reached a deal, leading to an uneasy partnership for several years.

Ongoing War

As an investigation began examining army businesses, Burhan and Hemedti ousted the government and took control.

But they fell out. Burhan insisted the RSF come under army command. Hemedti resisted.

In April 2023, RSF units moved to surround strategic locations in the capital. The attempted putsch failed, and violence broke out across the city.

Conflict intensified in Darfur, with the RSF mounting a vicious campaign against the Masalit community.

International organizations report thousands of casualties, with the US describing it ethnic cleansing.

Current Status

The RSF has acquired advanced arms, including sophisticated drones, deployed against army positions and critical for the capture of el-Fasher.

Equipped thus, the RSF is in a strategic stalemate with the national military.

Hemedti has formed a parallel government, the so-called unity government, appointing himself leader.

With the capture of al-Fasher, the RSF now holds almost all populated areas in western Sudan.

After allegations of mass killings, Hemedti declared an investigation into abuses perpetrated by his soldiers.

Sudanese speculate Hemedti envisions himself as ruler of an independent region or aspires to rule all of Sudan.

Alternatively, he may become a behind-the-scenes power broker, controlling businesses, a mercenary army, and a political party.

While Hemedti's troops continue atrocities in al-Fasher, he seems assured of impunity in a global community that overlooks.