Sudan paramilitary leaders acquired £17.7m property portfolio in Dubai, investigation reveals
An investigation by the Sentry has revealed that family members and associates of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Hemedti acquired over 20 luxury properties in Dubai worth £17.7 million. The properties are linked to a network benefiting from gold smuggling out of Sudan, with the UAE serving as a financial safe haven for the RSF leadership. The RSF, accused of genocide, is engaged in a war that has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The UAE denies supporting the militia, while the Dagalo family says its assets were obtained legally.
- ▪Leaked real estate records show RSF-linked individuals and entities own more than 20 luxury properties in Dubai, valued at £17.7 million.
- ▪Hemedti's family and sanctioned associates acquired villas near Meydan racecourse and a plot near Trump International Golf Club in Dubai.
- ▪The Sentry links the RSF's wealth to gold smuggling from Sudan, with Dubai serving as a hub for converting illicit gold into financial assets.
- ▪US- and UK-sanctioned individuals, including financial adviser Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed, own high-value properties in Dubai such as an apartment in the Burj Khalifa.
- ▪The UAE denies allegations of providing weapons or support to the RSF, while the Dagalo family claims all assets were obtained through legitimate business activities.
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Analysis of leaked real estate records revealed more than 20 luxury properties in the portfolio, including one in the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. Photograph: Abdel Hadi Ramahi/ReutersView image in fullscreenAnalysis of leaked real estate records revealed more than 20 luxury properties in the portfolio, including one in the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. Photograph: Abdel Hadi Ramahi/ReutersGlobal developmentSudan paramilitary leaders acquired £17.7m property portfolio in Dubai, investigation revealsThe RSF leadership, accused of committing genocide, used UAE as a ‘safe haven’ for family members and their wealth, records showSupported byAbout this contentMark TownsendTue 28 Apr 2026 00.00 EDTLast modified on Tue 28 Apr 2026 00.01 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA network linked to the leadership of a militia accused of genocide has amassed a vast property portfolio in Dubai as part of a sprawling “paramilitary-industrial complex” across Africa and the Middle East, an investigation has revealed.Family members, sanctioned individuals, and entities linked to the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have acquired more than 20 luxury properties, worth £17.7m, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the Sentry, a US investigative group.Sudan’s ruinous war between the RSF and the Sudanese armed forces has caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with 33 million of the country’s 50 million population requiring aid, and at least 19 million facing acute hunger.The Sentry’s findings revealed 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.View image in fullscreenMohamed Hamdan Dagalo (centre, waving a baton), known as Hemedti, the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces. Photograph: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesHemedti seized control of Darfur’s largest goldmine in 2017, with exports enabling him and his family to accumulate significant assets.A network of firms based in the UAE has allowed the RSF leadership to turn smuggled gold into hard currency, with Dubai a major hub for the precious metal, which is trading at near record highs.Heroism, horror and the ‘pits of hell’: inside the last days of El FasherRead moreNick Donovan, senior investigator at the Sentry, said: “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 – is widely accused of supporting the militia with weapons and mercenaries, something it denies.Analysis by the Sentry of leaked real estate records revealed that properties owned by a company linked to the RSF and members of Hemedti’s family were worth approximately £7.4m, with real estate owned by sanctioned individuals linked to the RSF worth another £10.3m.Relatives of Hemedti acquired luxury six-bedroom villas in a small gated community near Dubai’s Meydan racecourse, close to the city centre.The villas were brought by UAE-registered firm Prodigious Real Estate Management Supervision Services, whose owner is also linked to Dubai’s gold trade, and who was sanctioned by the US for running other companies that provided funding and military equipment to the RSF.Further analysis of other data, including phone records and passport data, revealed that relatives of…
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