USD 24m Property Safe Haven in Dubai Linked to the RSF
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John Ashworth
Apr 29, 2026, 5:06:16 AM (2 days ago) Apr 29
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1. $24M Property Safe Haven in Dubai Linked to the RSF
The Sentry, April 2026
A network of family members, sanctioned individuals, and entities
linked to the leadership of Sudan’s brutal Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
militia owns a $24 million real estate portfolio in Dubai consisting
of over 20 properties. The RSF is commanded by Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo
Musa (‘Hemedti’) and his two brothers, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo Musa
and Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, all of whom have been sanctioned.
Leaked real estate records reveal that several of these properties,
along with additional rental properties, are located within the same
gated community in Dubai. The findings suggest that, in addition to
reportedly supporting the militia with weapons and mercenaries, the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) provides a safe haven for the RSF
leadership’s family and wealth.
The Sentry reviewed multiple sources of information, including phone
records and passport data, to ascertain the family connections of the
Dagalo brothers. When the Dagalo family was reached for comment, the
persons identified as related to the Dagalo brothers did not deny
their familial relationship. Ownership of property by Dagalo family
members, standing alone, does not constitute or imply wrongdoing.
Conclusion
The total value of the property portfolio owned by family members,
Prodigious, and the sanctioned individuals is approximately $24
million, not including additional rental holdings.
These properties shed further light on the RSF’s relationship with the
UAE. While the UAE adamantly denies supporting the RSF, this
investigation is the fourth alert by The Sentry that reveals the
intricate connections between the Dagalo family, the RSF, and the UAE.
The first publication detailed how RSF front companies operated out of
Dubai. The second revealed that the Emirati businessman supplying
Colombian mercenaries to train the RSF is the business partner of the
UAE’s most senior bureaucrat. The third uncovered the role played by
Prodigious, a UAE-registered firm, in managing property associated
with the RSF leadership. Investigations by others have found that the
UAE supplies weapons and drones to the RSF, while smuggled gold flows
in the other direction. Emirati support for the RSF stems from the
very top, including ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and his brothers,
Shiekh Mansour and Sheikh Tahnoun, according to the New York Times.
As described in more detail in The Sentry’s third report, there is
substantial evidence that Dubai’s property market continues to
demonstrate significant strategic deficiencies and—despite being
removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list” in
2024—has not effectively enforced applicable laws, examined real
estate holdings of politically exposed persons (PEPs), or extradited
individuals accused of significant crimes, including charges related
to state capture, government fraud, and narcotics trafficking.
Recommendations
Sanctions. Prodigious Real Estate Management Supervision Services is
already blocked in the US under the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s
50% rule, as the US has previously sanctioned the company’s sole
owner, Abo Zer Abdelnabi Habiballa Ahmmed. However, US authorities
should specifically identify Prodigious as a blocked entity and add
the company to the Specially Designated Nationals & Blocked Persons
list for clarity and maximum effectiveness. Authorities in the
European Union, United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions should
investigate and, if appropriate, sanction Prodigious and its sole
owner Abo Zer Abdelnabi Habiballa Ahmmed.
Enhanced due diligence. In all jurisdictions, and especially in the
UAE, financial institutions, real estate professionals, and lawyers
should conduct enhanced due diligence on customers and transactions
potentially involving members of the Dagalo family, Prodigious Real
Estate Management Supervision Services, and individuals sanctioned
based on activity related to the RSF. These institutions and persons
should in particular investigate any payments to or from Prodigious
Real Estate Management Supervision Services, in case the payments
breach US sanctions imposed on Hemedti in 2025.
Investigating real estate transactions in the UAE. Law enforcement
agencies should investigate all properties bought by Prodigious Real
Estate Management Supervision Services, the Dagalo family, individuals
and entities sanctioned based on activity related to the RSF, and
other related PEPs to verify the source of funds.
Increased FATF evaluations of real estate. FATF members should focus
on real estate during the upcoming 2026 mutual evaluation of the UAE’s
progress on enforcement of money laundering and terrorist financing
laws. If further progress in this area is not observed, then FATF
should place the UAE back on the grey list.
________________________________
Dagalo Family response
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040798-dagalo-family-response/
Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed response
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040852-mustafa-ibrahim-abdel-nabi-mohamed-response/
Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed supporting documents
Rapid Support Forces Act 2017:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040849-rapid-support-forces-act-2017-english/
Sudan Constitution 2019:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040853-sudan-constitution/
Letter from Central Bank of Sudan:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040851-central-bank-of-sudan-document/
Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed academic qualification:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040850-mustafa-ibrahim-abdel-nabi-mohamed-dphil/
Answers to further questions:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28079327-answers-to-further-questions/
Full report in English and Arabic are too large for Google groups but
can be found online at
https://thesentry.org/reports/24m-property-dubai-rsf/
END1
2. Sudan paramilitary leaders acquired £17.7m property portfolio in
Dubai, investigation reveals
The RSF leadership, accused of committing genocide, used UAE as a
‘safe haven’ for family members and their wealth, records show
Mark Townsend, Guardian, 28 April 2026
A 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, individuals under sanctions, 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.
Hemedti 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.
Nick 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 individuals under sanctions who are 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 the UAE-registered firm Prodigious Real
Estate Management Supervision Services, whose owner is also linked to
Dubai’s gold trade, and who had sanctions imposed on them 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 the Dagalo family have congregated
within the gated community.
Farther afield, the investigation found that Hemedti’s wife bought a
plot of land for £627,000, six months into Sudan’s war, in a
yet-to-be-completed luxury development near Dubai’s Trump
International Golf Club.
Individuals with ties to the RSF were also named including Mustafa
Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed – sanctioned by the EU and the UK for his
role as a financial adviser to the RSF and the Dagalo family – who is
said to own an apartment worth £516,000 in the Burj Khalifa skyscraper
in Dubai.
According to the Sentry, the Dagalo family declined to comment on
whether its members still owned specific properties, and said that any
private residences or assets had been properly obtained.
Ownership of property by Dagalo family members does not constitute or
imply wrongdoing. The family also stressed that members had been
engaged in legitimate commercial activity such as livestock trading,
for generations.
The Sentry could not reach Prodigious for comment but said its owner
had previously declined to answer questions regarding his role in
other companies under sanctions for links to the RSF, stating that
matters were subject to legal proceedings.
Mohamed told the Sentry that he is not a financial adviser to the RSF
but has been the “financial director seconded to the Rapid Support
Forces” since 2017, during a period when the RSF was a properly
constituted entity governed by Sudanese law. He added that since the
war began, he has not engaged in any activities that hinder peace and
stability in Sudan.
The UAE has previously stated that it “categorically rejects” claims
that it has provided “weapons, funding, trainers or logistical support
to the RSF”. Spokespeople have been contacted for comment.
The RSF is commanded by Hemedti and his brothers Abdelrahim and
Algoney, all of whom have had sanctions imposed on them.
Recently, the UN said the RSF’s attack on the western city of El
Fasher last year bore the “hallmarks of genocide”, while the US has
accused the group of committing genocide.
A separate report last week found a network of Colombian mercenaries,
backed by the UAE, provided crucial support to the RSF during the fall
of El Fasher.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/apr/28/sudan-paramilitary-rsf-leaders-property-portfolio-dubai-uae-investigation
END2
______________________
John Ashworth
ashwor...@gmail.com
+254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile, WhatsApp and Signal)
PO Box 403 - 00206, Kiserian, Kenya
The Sentry, April 2026
A network of family members, sanctioned individuals, and entities
linked to the leadership of Sudan’s brutal Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
militia owns a $24 million real estate portfolio in Dubai consisting
of over 20 properties. The RSF is commanded by Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo
Musa (‘Hemedti’) and his two brothers, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo Musa
and Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, all of whom have been sanctioned.
Leaked real estate records reveal that several of these properties,
along with additional rental properties, are located within the same
gated community in Dubai. The findings suggest that, in addition to
reportedly supporting the militia with weapons and mercenaries, the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) provides a safe haven for the RSF
leadership’s family and wealth.
The Sentry reviewed multiple sources of information, including phone
records and passport data, to ascertain the family connections of the
Dagalo brothers. When the Dagalo family was reached for comment, the
persons identified as related to the Dagalo brothers did not deny
their familial relationship. Ownership of property by Dagalo family
members, standing alone, does not constitute or imply wrongdoing.
Conclusion
The total value of the property portfolio owned by family members,
Prodigious, and the sanctioned individuals is approximately $24
million, not including additional rental holdings.
These properties shed further light on the RSF’s relationship with the
UAE. While the UAE adamantly denies supporting the RSF, this
investigation is the fourth alert by The Sentry that reveals the
intricate connections between the Dagalo family, the RSF, and the UAE.
The first publication detailed how RSF front companies operated out of
Dubai. The second revealed that the Emirati businessman supplying
Colombian mercenaries to train the RSF is the business partner of the
UAE’s most senior bureaucrat. The third uncovered the role played by
Prodigious, a UAE-registered firm, in managing property associated
with the RSF leadership. Investigations by others have found that the
UAE supplies weapons and drones to the RSF, while smuggled gold flows
in the other direction. Emirati support for the RSF stems from the
very top, including ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and his brothers,
Shiekh Mansour and Sheikh Tahnoun, according to the New York Times.
As described in more detail in The Sentry’s third report, there is
substantial evidence that Dubai’s property market continues to
demonstrate significant strategic deficiencies and—despite being
removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list” in
2024—has not effectively enforced applicable laws, examined real
estate holdings of politically exposed persons (PEPs), or extradited
individuals accused of significant crimes, including charges related
to state capture, government fraud, and narcotics trafficking.
Recommendations
Sanctions. Prodigious Real Estate Management Supervision Services is
already blocked in the US under the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s
50% rule, as the US has previously sanctioned the company’s sole
owner, Abo Zer Abdelnabi Habiballa Ahmmed. However, US authorities
should specifically identify Prodigious as a blocked entity and add
the company to the Specially Designated Nationals & Blocked Persons
list for clarity and maximum effectiveness. Authorities in the
European Union, United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions should
investigate and, if appropriate, sanction Prodigious and its sole
owner Abo Zer Abdelnabi Habiballa Ahmmed.
Enhanced due diligence. In all jurisdictions, and especially in the
UAE, financial institutions, real estate professionals, and lawyers
should conduct enhanced due diligence on customers and transactions
potentially involving members of the Dagalo family, Prodigious Real
Estate Management Supervision Services, and individuals sanctioned
based on activity related to the RSF. These institutions and persons
should in particular investigate any payments to or from Prodigious
Real Estate Management Supervision Services, in case the payments
breach US sanctions imposed on Hemedti in 2025.
Investigating real estate transactions in the UAE. Law enforcement
agencies should investigate all properties bought by Prodigious Real
Estate Management Supervision Services, the Dagalo family, individuals
and entities sanctioned based on activity related to the RSF, and
other related PEPs to verify the source of funds.
Increased FATF evaluations of real estate. FATF members should focus
on real estate during the upcoming 2026 mutual evaluation of the UAE’s
progress on enforcement of money laundering and terrorist financing
laws. If further progress in this area is not observed, then FATF
should place the UAE back on the grey list.
________________________________
Dagalo Family response
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040798-dagalo-family-response/
Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed response
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040852-mustafa-ibrahim-abdel-nabi-mohamed-response/
Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed supporting documents
Rapid Support Forces Act 2017:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040849-rapid-support-forces-act-2017-english/
Sudan Constitution 2019:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040853-sudan-constitution/
Letter from Central Bank of Sudan:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040851-central-bank-of-sudan-document/
Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed academic qualification:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28040850-mustafa-ibrahim-abdel-nabi-mohamed-dphil/
Answers to further questions:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28079327-answers-to-further-questions/
Full report in English and Arabic are too large for Google groups but
can be found online at
https://thesentry.org/reports/24m-property-dubai-rsf/
END1
2. Sudan paramilitary leaders acquired £17.7m property portfolio in
Dubai, investigation reveals
The RSF leadership, accused of committing genocide, used UAE as a
‘safe haven’ for family members and their wealth, records show
Mark Townsend, Guardian, 28 April 2026
A 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, individuals under sanctions, 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.
Hemedti 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.
Nick 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 individuals under sanctions who are 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 the UAE-registered firm Prodigious Real
Estate Management Supervision Services, whose owner is also linked to
Dubai’s gold trade, and who had sanctions imposed on them 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 the Dagalo family have congregated
within the gated community.
Farther afield, the investigation found that Hemedti’s wife bought a
plot of land for £627,000, six months into Sudan’s war, in a
yet-to-be-completed luxury development near Dubai’s Trump
International Golf Club.
Individuals with ties to the RSF were also named including Mustafa
Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed – sanctioned by the EU and the UK for his
role as a financial adviser to the RSF and the Dagalo family – who is
said to own an apartment worth £516,000 in the Burj Khalifa skyscraper
in Dubai.
According to the Sentry, the Dagalo family declined to comment on
whether its members still owned specific properties, and said that any
private residences or assets had been properly obtained.
Ownership of property by Dagalo family members does not constitute or
imply wrongdoing. The family also stressed that members had been
engaged in legitimate commercial activity such as livestock trading,
for generations.
The Sentry could not reach Prodigious for comment but said its owner
had previously declined to answer questions regarding his role in
other companies under sanctions for links to the RSF, stating that
matters were subject to legal proceedings.
Mohamed told the Sentry that he is not a financial adviser to the RSF
but has been the “financial director seconded to the Rapid Support
Forces” since 2017, during a period when the RSF was a properly
constituted entity governed by Sudanese law. He added that since the
war began, he has not engaged in any activities that hinder peace and
stability in Sudan.
The UAE has previously stated that it “categorically rejects” claims
that it has provided “weapons, funding, trainers or logistical support
to the RSF”. Spokespeople have been contacted for comment.
The RSF is commanded by Hemedti and his brothers Abdelrahim and
Algoney, all of whom have had sanctions imposed on them.
Recently, the UN said the RSF’s attack on the western city of El
Fasher last year bore the “hallmarks of genocide”, while the US has
accused the group of committing genocide.
A separate report last week found a network of Colombian mercenaries,
backed by the UAE, provided crucial support to the RSF during the fall
of El Fasher.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/apr/28/sudan-paramilitary-rsf-leaders-property-portfolio-dubai-uae-investigation
END2
______________________
John Ashworth
ashwor...@gmail.com
+254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile, WhatsApp and Signal)
PO Box 403 - 00206, Kiserian, Kenya
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