RSF coerces adults, sends child soldiers to fight its war
RSF coerces adults, sends child soldiers to fight its war
The paramilitary group has often grown its troop numbers by recruiting children and brutally press-ganging civilians.
Mohamed Suliman
The war which erupted in April 2023 between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia and the Sudanese National Army has displaced millions and killed tens of thousands. Knowing how the militia recruits individuals is critical to understanding its strength and sustainability. The sad reality is that these practices are often brutal, usually violate international laws, and highlight what a threat the militia poses to human rights and political stability.
The RSF emerged primarily from a restructuring of the notorious Janjaweed militia in 2013, to support the central government’s counterinsurgency operations in Darfur and South Kordofan. In 2017, Sudan’s Parliament passed a law legitimising its activities. Since then, it has grown rapidly. One of the first independent military analyses by the Small Arms Survey in 2017 estimated that it had around 6,000 soldiers, but analysts said this had increased to 100,000 before the start of the ongoing war.
The RSF has achieved this through a range of tactics including co-opting foreign fighters while also recruiting children, leading to an uptick in the number of child soldiers since the start of the war. At the same time, there are widespread reports of adults being recruited through extremely brutal strategies including the use of torture and the threat that those who do not comply will be executed or denied food and medical aid. This violates numerous international laws and treaties.
Given that the end goal of RSF is to take control of the country, its coercive recruitment drives are unlikely to be curtailed any time soon. It is therefore critical for the international community – including the United Arab Emirates, which has been funding the militia – and human rights groups to exert as much pressure as possible to ensure that international laws and conventions are upheld. Unless this happens, the rise of the RSF will continue to mean an increase in misery for the people of Sudan.