Rapid Support Forces facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rapid Support Forces |
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| Arabic: قوات الدعم السريع | |
Emblem
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| Founded | August 2013 |
| Allegiance | Government of Sudan (until 2023) |
| Type | Paramilitary |
| Size | 100,000 (2023) |
| Part of | National Intelligence and Security Service and Sudanese Armed Forces (formerly) |
| Engagements |
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| Commanders | |
| Commander | Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti") |
| Deputy head | Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | RSF |
| Dates of operation | 2013–present |
| Part of | Sudanese Armed Forces (until 2023) |
| Allies |
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| Opponents | |
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF; Arabic: قوات الدعم السريع, romanized: Quwwāt ad-daʿm as-sarīʿ) is a paramilitary force formerly operated by the Government of Sudan. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which previously fought on behalf of the Sudanese government. Its actions in Darfur qualify as crimes against humanity in the opinion of Human Rights Watch.
RSF has been administered by the National Intelligence and Security Service, while during military operations it has been commanded by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). As of June 2019[update], the commander is General Hemedti (Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo). During the Sudanese political crisis of 2019, the military junta that took control of the country employed RSF to violently crack down on pro-democracy demonstrators. Along with other security forces, RSF carried out the Khartoum massacre on 3 June 2019.
On 15 April 2023, fighting broke out between RSF and the SAF after RSF mobilized its forces in cities across Sudan, including in Darfur. SAF has designated RSF a rebel group. RSF forces claim to have occupied Khartoum International Airport and other areas in Khartoum.
Origin
RSF has its roots in the Janjaweed militias used by the Sudanese Government in its attempts to fight the anti-government insurgency during the War in Darfur. RSF was officially formed in 2013, following a restructuring and reactivation of Janjaweed militias in order to combat rebel groups in Darfur region, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile states, following joint attacks by Sudanese Revolutionary Front rebels in North and South Kordofan in April 2013.
Leadership and numbers
RSF is headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti"), who has been its leader since it was created in 2013 or 2014. As of September 2019[update], Hemetti's brother Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo is deputy head of RSF.
RSF was estimated by Human Rights Watch as having about 5,000–6,000 soldiers in February 2014 in Darfur. In 2016–2017, RSF had 40,000 members participating in the Yemeni Civil War. In late October 2019, 10,000 had returned to Sudan. In July 2019, about 1,000 RSF soldiers were present in Libya, supporting the Libyan National Army commanded by Khalifa Haftar.
According to Reuters, as of 2023, the force numbers 100,000 people.
Role
Migration control
In addition to its role in Darfur, RSF is deployed to patrol the border with Libya and round up Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees in response to the Khartoum process, which is an initiative between European and African states, including Sudan, to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.
Business interests
In November 2017, Hemetti used RSF to take over control of gold mines in the Darfur region, which led to him becoming one of the richest people in Sudan by 2019. Hemetti's brother Abdul Rahim, deputy head of RSF, heads the Al Junaid (or Al Gunade) corporation involved in gold mining and trading in Sudan.
In December 2019, a Global Witness investigation into RSF and Al Junaid argued that RSF and Al Junaid are closely linked in terms of financial transactions. Global Witness stated that "the RSF and [Al Junaid had] captured a swathe of the [Sudanese] gold industry and [were] likely using it to fund their operations." The General Manager of Al Junaid stated to Thomson Reuters that there were no close links between the two.
RSF has two front companies called GSK, a Sudanese technology company, and Tradive General Trading LLC, a United Arab Emirates-based company, both controlled by Hemetti's brother Algoney Hamdan Dagalo.
In April 2023, Al Jazeera reported that RSF had sought out Western public relations firms to burnish its image, including by editing Wikipedia pages.
