The face in the photo has become famous in Sudan. The fighter, with his medium-length hair and bearded face, has appeared in numerous videos. Sometimes he even laughs at killing unarmed people.
This is Abu Lulu. But a photo released last Thursday by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the group he represented, showed him in handcuffs after his arrest.
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The arrests are part of the RSF’s efforts to distance itself from atrocities in the Darfur town of al-Fashar, which its forces captured on October 26 after an 18-month siege. At least 1,500 civilians have been killed From the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). fled the cityAnd according to the Sudan Doctors Network, the RSF hit hard.
Abu Lulu, also known as Brigadier General Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, has come to symbolize Sudan’s tribal brutality. War between RSF and SAF Started in April 2023.
Abu Lulu has been linked to a series of killings in Sudan over the past year. His alleged crimes, witnesses say, were not random acts of violence but deliberate performance intimidation, inciting communal tension and projecting a grotesque image of power.
In al-Jaili, north of Khartoum, footage appeared of him killing two prisoners of war. In al-Salha neighborhood of Omdurman city, he is reported to have participated in the killing of 31 civilians. In al-Khuwair area of West Kordofan state, he is reported to have executed more than 16 captured soldiers, with witnesses alleging that his motives were motivated by ethnic hatred.
And in al-Fashar, he was depicted confronting an unarmed restaurant owner, asking for his tribe, and shooting him dead when the man replied that he was from the non-Arab Burti tribe. The victim’s pleas for mercy were ignored.
On October 27, 2025, more footage appeared online, showing Abu Lulu’s forces killing dozens of civilians in al-Fashar. The massacre, which was filmed, filmed and shared on social media, caused widespread outrage and attracted attention to the person behind it.
A ‘psychopathic’ mentality
Dr David Holmes, a criminal psychologist who reviewed the footage for Al Jazeera, described Abu Lulu as “a narcissistic psychopath” whose personality set him apart from his peers. “He’s active in killing unarmed victims,” Holmes said.
Holmes noted that Abu Lulu’s killing method involved repeated, random shots rather than using a single bullet. “(One) is a harsh use of weapons to maim and kill without trying to (use) a bullet to the head,” Holmes said of the videos Abu Lulu appeared to show, adding that the fighter appeared to be “enjoying the indiscriminate shooting”.
Holmes added that Abu Lulu’s behavior on camera suggests that he sees himself as a kind of celebrity. “He’s happy with his position and he thinks of himself as a kind of celebrity to the public,” Holmes said.
Indeed, Abu Lulu has frequently broadcast his actions online. In a live TikTok session, he bragged about killing “2,000 people” and admitted he had “lost count”. The session drew both applause and alarm among RSF-affiliated users, with some hailing him as a “hero” and others urging him to stop filming.
Denial and disapproval
After the confusion, several sources in the RSF claimed that Abu Lulu was not formally part of the paramilitary group, but led a “coalition force” allied with it from the beginning of the war.
“He is not from the RSF,” a senior RSF military source, who wished to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera. “He leads a group that fights with us, but he will be held accountable for his actions. He does not represent the RSF.”
The RSF’s official spokesman, al-Fateh al-Qurshi, later echoed the same line and denied that Abu Lulu was part of its command structure. RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedati, has admitted to crimes committed by his forces in recent weeks and announced the formation of a commission of inquiry, promising “there will be accountability”.
But even after Abu Lulu’s arrest, skepticism remains. Rights groups and analysts say the RSF’s frequent practice of distancing itself from field commanders implicated in atrocities has become a familiar tactic, allowing the force to preserve its image by maintaining operational ties to local militias.
The roots of a paramilitary empire
The RSF traces its origins to government-backed/linked militias Known as JanjweedMeanwhile, Arab tribal soldiers mobbed by the Sudanese government Darfur was in the early 2000s, and accused of widespread massacres, rapes and ethnic cleansing.
In 2013, then-President Omar al-Bashir formally reorganized the militia under the RSF banner and appointed Hemedati as its commander. Although nominally part of Sudan’s military structure, the RSF developed into an autonomous power group, amassing vast financial resources from overseas gold mining, extensive control, and mercenary contracts.
The RSF later refused to integrate into the SAF, leading to the Sudanese Civil War. The conflict allowed the paramilitary force to take advantage of its deep regional networks and urban warfare experience to seize large parts of Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan states.
The same tactics used in Darfur – targeting civilians based on ethnicity and perceived loyalty – have resurfaced across the country, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced.
Seeks justice
It is in this environment that Abu Lulu has gained fame.
But as footage of al-Fashar’s massacre spread globally, calls for the United Nations and the International Criminal Court to investigate Abu Lulu’s crimes for violating international humanitarian law grew.
Human rights advocates argue that his documented killings are clear evidence of war crimes.
For survivors and victims’ families, however, justice seems far away.
“He killed people in front of the cameras,” said Khalid, a survivor of the al-Fashar massacre, who did not want to give his full name. “He wanted fame.”
Abu Lulu’s public actions, along with widely available footage of the killing in al-Fashar, have further damaged the credibility of the RSF, which has sought to present itself as a respectable force in recent months. In July, the group announced the formation of a parallel government to administer areas under Sudan’s control, with a presidential council headed by Hemedati.
But such efforts pale in comparison to the al-Fashar assassination and the actions of fighters like Abu Lulu.
Whether acting independently or under RSF coordination, Abu Lulu has become a symbol of Sudan’s brutal unraveling.
As Sudan’s war continues, his image – smiling for the camera, rifle in hand – is a reminder of the struggles the country faces.