Khartoum: Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of Sudan, also known as Hemedti, rose from humble beginnings to lead a feared Arab militia that put down a Darfur uprising. As a result, he gained influence and eventually rose to become the country's second most powerful and richest man.

His Rapid Support Forces, which were militias in Darfur before becoming a paramilitary force, and the military engaged in combat on Saturday.

Hemedti has been a prominent figure in his nation's turbulent politics for ten years. He helped remove his former patron, President Omar Bashir, in 2019 and later put an end to Sudanese protests calling for democracy.

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Hemedti, a former camel trader with little formal education, is now Sudan's deputy head of state and is in charge of some of the country's most crucial portfolios, including the country's failing economy and peace talks with rebel groups.

His RSF paramilitary, which consists of menacing young men with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades mounted on trucks and who have mastered desert warfare in the Darfur region but lack the discipline of the regular army, is a significant source of his power.

According to Muhammad Saad, a former assistant of Hemedti, Hemedti first took up arms in the western Darfur region after men attacked his trade convoy and killed about 60 members of his family and looted camels. Darfur had been experiencing conflict since 2003, when mainly non-Arab rebels seized power.

Hemedti, a tall, imposing figure, went on to organise the janjaweed, a pro-government militia made up of nomadic Arab tribesmen, into the more inclusive RSF.

Bashir and other prominent figures were accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, which started in 2003 and resulted in up to 300,000 deaths and 2.7 million displaced people. Indictments weren't filed against Hemedti.

Insiders claim that during Bashir's 30-year rule, Hemedti was the enforcer he chose to protect him from rivals. Bashir relied on Hemedti to deal with state enemies during the Darfur conflict and elsewhere in Sudan because he was impressed by his wits and fighting prowess.

The militia of Hemedti gained legitimacy. After being promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, he was given carte blanche to occupy gold mines in Darfur and sell Sudan's most precious resource. Hemedti grew wealthy as Sudan stumbled through one economic crisis after another.

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Having gold mines is not a first for me. In a BBC interview, Hemedti stated, "It's true, we have gold mines, and there's nothing stopping us from working in gold.

Hemedti participated in Bashir's ouster in 2019 after years of backing him; Bashir had come under pressure from large-scale demonstrations demanding democracy and an end to the country's economic woes.

Hemedti wasted no time in attempting to shape the future of Sudan, which has been ruled for most of its post-colonial history by military leaders who seized power in takeovers, under the civilian-military partnership established after Bashir's removal. He met with Western ambassadors, spoke in public about the need for "real democracy," and engaged in negotiations with rebel organisations.

Hemedti wanted to rule Sudan as the top man. He has unbridled ambition, according to a member of the opposition who asked to remain unnamed out of concern for retaliation.

Hemedti did not tolerate disagreement well. After Bashir was overthrown, the RSF reportedly launched a brutal crackdown on a protest camp outside the Ministry of Defence in 2019. Over 100 people lost their lives. Hemedti disputed having authorised the attack.

In an action branded a military coup by political organisations, the military took control in October 2021 and imposed a state of emergency, ending the civilian-military power-sharing agreement.

Hemedti claimed in a video statement that the army had taken control in order to "correct the course of the people's revolution" and bring about stability.
Hemedti has stated that in the event of a deal or elections, the military is ready to cede control. Many Sudanese did not believe it.

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However, disagreements between Hemedti's RSF and the army have made efforts to reinstate civilian rule more difficult.

"I have long believed that he (Hemedti) is an existential threat to not only Sudan's democratic transition but to its very viability as a state," said Sudanese lawyer Ahmed T. El-Gaili.