Khartoum: The ongoing war between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has escalated into what the United Nations describes as the 'world's worst humanitarian crisis.' This conflict has drawn global attention to the origins, rise, and the RSF's decade-long record of atrocities.
According to Anadolu Agency, the RSF traces its roots back to the Janjaweed militias, which were first mobilized in the early 2000s in Sudan's western Darfur region. Led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the RSF has grown from these militias into a formidable independent force with an estimated manpower of around 100,000 fighters dispersed across Darfur and other regions.
The RSF was formally established in 2013 as a semi-regular security unit under the command of Hemedti. Initially operating under Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service, the RSF's mandate included combating rebellion and protecting borders. In 2017, a law passed under former President Omar al-Bashir integrated the RSF into the Sudanese Armed Forces, declaring it a 'national military force.' This integration, however, created a dual military structure, leading to the current power struggle with the Sudanese army over a proposed merger.
The RSF's roots in the Janjaweed militias highlight its involvement in the Darfur war, where UN and international investigations have documented mass killings, systematic sexual violence, and ethnic cleansing. Rights groups have linked these early abuses to the RSF's current organizational structure.
In the 2018-2019 revolution that led to the removal of Omar al-Bashir, the RSF played a crucial role. Hemedti subsequently became the deputy chair of the transitional Sovereign Council, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army erupted in April 2023 over disagreements on security-sector reform, including the integration of the RSF into the regular army. The RSF adopted an urban-warfare strategy, initially seizing large sections of Khartoum and Omdurman. Although the army regained control of the capital by May 21, the RSF maintains control over significant areas in western and central Sudan, notably in Darfur.
Financially, the RSF has developed a vast economic network independent of the Sudanese state. Its most profitable asset is gold extracted from mines in Darfur and South Kordofan, which finances its recruitment, weapon acquisitions, and foreign partnerships.
Human Rights Watch has documented the RSF's long history of atrocities, including widespread unlawful killings, sexual violence, and property destruction. From April to November 2023, the RSF was responsible for the deaths of thousands and the displacement of hundreds of thousands in El Geneina, West Darfur. The International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor confirmed evidence of crimes under the Rome Statute being committed in Darfur.
Recent accusations from the Sudan Doctors Network include ethnic killings and the plundering of health facilities in El-Fasher, North Darfur. Following the fall of El-Fasher, a UN Fact-Finding Mission reported systematic and ongoing attacks against civilians by the RSF, which resulted in over 62,000 people being displaced.
As of now, the war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began on April 15, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of 20,000 people and displaced more than 15 million as refugees and internally displaced persons. Efforts by regional and international mediators to end the conflict have been unsuccessful.