Algoney Hamdan Daglo listed with Kenyan passport and UAE ID in updated U.S. sanctions filing

Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, the brother of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, has had his U.S. sanctions listing updated to include a Kenyan passport and a United Arab Emirates (UAE) identification number, according to a memo released Thursday by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He was previously sanctioned in October 2024 by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The revised listing now includes details of a Kenyan passport and a UAE ID number. A second version of the sanctions entry has been issued to incorporate the new identifying information, providing more precise documentation tied to Abdulrahim Hamdan Dagalo and potentially limiting his ability to circumvent sanctions.

The update comes amid heightened scrutiny of regional actors’ roles in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.

Kenya has firmly denied allegations that it is arming or supporting the RSF. President William Ruto has repeatedly described such claims as “absolutely false,” maintaining that Kenya’s role is to act as a neutral facilitator in Sudan’s crisis. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ruto dismissed accusations of arms smuggling and reiterated Kenya’s commitment to dialogue and peace efforts.

Ruto also suggested that Hemedti and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan are “cut from the same cloth,” implying that neither offers a viable solution to the conflict.

In February 2025, Nairobi hosted a major “peace conference” at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), bringing together representatives from the RSF, civilian groups, and political actors. Participants presented a roadmap outlining the formation of a unity government and a framework for leadership transition.

Sudan’s government, however, reacted with skepticism. Khartoum accused Kenya of favoring the RSF and allied civilian groups over the SAF. The perception of bias strained bilateral relations, with Sudan questioning Nairobi’s neutrality and criticizing its hosting of RSF-linked events as undermining the SAF’s legitimacy. In response to these developments, Khartoum imposed a ban on imports from Kenya, citing perceived ties between President Ruto’s government and the RSF leader.

In June last year, a joint investigation by Bellingcat and Kenya’s Daily Nation uncovered evidence suggesting that Kenyan-labeled ammunition crates may have ended up in RSF hands.

Images and field reports documented Kenya-marked crates inside an RSF depot near Khartoum. The site was later recaptured by the SAF, which publicly displayed the crates. While investigators could not independently verify the contents of every box, matching ammunition tins were reportedly found nearby, raising questions about how the materiel reached RSF forces.

Beyond Kenya, the United Arab Emirates has also faced scrutiny over its alleged ties to the RSF. The UAE has been widely reported to provide financial and logistical backing to the paramilitary force, though Emirati officials have denied direct military support. Analysts suggest the UAE’s strategic interests in Sudan, including access to gold resources and influence along the Red Sea corridor, may be shaping its engagement. Such involvement adds a geopolitical dimension to the war, and this has been evident in the recent fallout between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. Several reports emerged this weekend that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a “detailed letter” to UAE National Security Advisor Tahnoon bin Zayed criticizing the UAE’s role in Sudan and Yemen. Riyadh has also adopted a tougher position on Sudan amid the alleged UAE involvement.

The updated U.S. sanctions filing naming Abdulrahim Hamdan Dagalo’s Kenyan passport and UAE ID is likely to intensify questions about the international networks linked to the RSF as Sudan’s conflict expends both in scale and scope.