An investigation has revealed that a network linked to the leadership of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a militia accused of genocide - has amassed a lavish property portfolio in Dubai worth £17.7 million, because nothing says “humanitarian crisis” like a six-bedroom villa near a racecourse.
The Sentry, a U.S. investigative group, found that family members, sanctioned individuals, and entities tied to RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti) have acquired more than 20 luxury properties in the United Arab Emirates. This is part of what the group calls a sprawling “paramilitary-industrial complex” stretching across Africa and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s ruinous war between the RSF and the Sudanese armed forces has produced the world’s largest humanitarian crisis: 33 million of the country’s 50 million people need aid, and at least 19 million face acute hunger. But hey, at least Hemedti’s wife bought a plot of land for £627,000 six months into the war, in a yet-to-be-completed luxury development near Dubai’s Trump International Golf Club. Priorities, people.
The Sentry’s findings indicate the UAE provides a “safe haven” for the RSF leadership’s family and wealth, much of which is believed to come from gold smuggled out of Sudan. Hemedti seized control of Darfur’s largest goldmine in 2017, and a network of UAE-based firms has allowed the RSF to turn smuggled gold into hard currency. Dubai, conveniently, is a major hub for the precious metal, which is trading at near record highs.
Nick Donovan, senior investigator at the Sentry, summed it up: “In addition to arming the militia, the UAE allows the RSF to base part of its paramilitary-industrial complex in Dubai. Our investigation shows the Dagalo family has also found a safe haven for its wealth in the Emirates.” The Gulf state - the RSF’s chief foreign backer - denies providing weapons, funding, or mercenaries, despite widespread accusations.
Analysis of leaked real estate records revealed properties owned by a company linked to the RSF and Hemedti’s family were worth about £7.4 million, with real estate owned by sanctioned RSF-linked individuals worth another £10.3 million. Relatives of Hemedti acquired luxury six-bedroom villas in a gated community near Dubai’s Meydan racecourse, purchased through UAE-registered firm Prodigious Real Estate Management Supervision Services. The firm’s owner, already sanctioned by the U.S. for running companies that funded and armed the RSF, apparently declined to comment.
Phone records and passport data showed Dagalo family relatives have congregated in that gated community. Further afield, Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed - sanctioned by the EU and the UK as a financial adviser to the RSF and the Dagalo family - owns an apartment worth £516,000 in the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. Because nothing says “I’m definitely not a war profiteer” like a pad in the world’s tallest building.
The Dagalo family declined to comment on specific properties, insisting any assets were “properly obtained” and that members have long engaged in legitimate commercial activities like livestock trading. The Sentry noted the family stressed that property ownership does not imply wrongdoing. Sure, Jan.
The RSF is commanded by Hemedti and his brothers Abdelrahim and Algoney, all sanctioned. The UN recently said the RSF’s attack on El Fasher last year bore the “hallmarks of genocide,” and the U.S. has accused the group of genocide. A separate report last week found a network of Colombian mercenaries, backed by the UAE, provided crucial support to the RSF during the fall of El Fasher. But don’t worry - the UAE “categorically rejects” any claims of support. We’re sure the luxury villas are just a coincidence.