A notorious Sudanese paramilitary commander has callously executed more than 2,000 civilians in the western city of Al Fasher, becoming the infamous face of the massacres being committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Darfur region.
The RSF captured Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, last week, amid reports of massacres against civilians trapped in the city.
The takeover was part of a deadly civil war, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemetti) against the Sudanese army since April 2023.
Several videos showed one of the so-called RSF commanders, known as Abu Lulu, callously gunning down people at point-blank range one by one in the city, cementing his notoriety as the “Butcher of Al Fasher”.
Abu Lulu
Abu Lulu, whose true name is Al Fateh Abdullah Idris, is one of the most notorious RSF leaders and among the closest to the Dagalo family, who are also members of the Mahariya Rizeigat tribe.
He joined the RSF in 2013 after receiving military training.
His family connections to RSF leader Hemetti helped him to rise rapidly within the paramilitary force, as he joined the special forces and was sent to Yemen several times.
After returning from Yemen, he was transferred to the intelligence office, which strengthened his position within the paramilitary group.
When the conflict escalated between the RSF and the Sudanese army, Abu Lulu became one of the guards of Abdelrheem Dagalo, a brother of Hemetti and the deputy leader of the RSF at the time.
International sanctions were imposed on Abdelrheem Dagalo in September 2023 due to human rights abuses and war crimes that he reportedly committed during the war.