The notorious commander, known for filming himself killing civilians, has been detained by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces — but human rights groups say the arrest is a hollow gesture meant to deflect blame for atrocities in Darfur
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s powerful paramilitary group, announced the arrest of Abu Lulu, a commander infamous for boasting on social media about killing civilians. But despite his detention, the RSF is struggling to distance itself from the massacre in El-Fasher, where more than 1,500 people were killed following the group’s takeover of the city in late October.
The man known as Abu Lulu — identified as Brigadier General al-Fateh Abdullah Idris — became a symbol of Sudan’s brutal war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Videos circulating online show him smiling while executing unarmed people, including prisoners of war and civilians, in Khartoum, Omdurman, and West Kordofan. In one of the most widely viewed clips, he confronts a restaurant owner in El-Fasher, asks about his tribe, and shoots him dead when he replies that he is from the non-Arab Berti community.
Psychologist Dr. David Holmes, who analyzed footage for Al Jazeera, described Abu Lulu as a “narcissistic psychopath” who appeared to take pleasure in indiscriminate killing and self-promotion. In one livestream on TikTok, Abu Lulu bragged about killing “over 2,000 people,” treating his crimes as performances for notoriety.
Following global outrage over the El-Fasher massacre, the RSF released photos showing Abu Lulu in handcuffs, claiming he would “be held accountable.” RSF officials now insist he was not officially part of their forces, describing him instead as the leader of a “coalition unit” allied with them. “He does not belong to the RSF,” one officer told reporters. “He fought alongside us but does not represent us.”
However, human rights experts and Sudan observers have expressed deep skepticism. Analysts argue the RSF has repeatedly used such denials to shield its leadership from war crimes allegations while continuing to rely on brutal militias to fight its battles.
The RSF’s roots trace back to the Janjaweed, the Arab militias responsible for ethnic cleansing in Darfur in the early 2000s. Under the command of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), the group evolved into a powerful, semi-autonomous force — funded by gold mining and foreign contracts — and has since become central to Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, the RSF has seized vast territories in Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan, using the same tactics that once terrorized Darfur’s villages: targeted ethnic killings, looting, and forced displacement.
The arrest of Abu Lulu, while symbolic, has done little to restore the RSF’s credibility. Rights groups are urging the United Nations and the International Criminal Court to launch investigations into his documented crimes, arguing that the available footage constitutes clear evidence of war crimes.
“He murdered people for fame,” said Khalid, a survivor of the El-Fasher massacre. “Now they pretend he was acting alone.”
As Sudan’s war grinds on, Abu Lulu’s image — grinning with his rifle before the camera — has come to embody the country’s moral collapse. His capture may mark an attempt at damage control, but for victims’ families, justice remains as distant as ever.
(Associated Medias) – Tutti i diritti sono riservati