‘Men with no mercy’: The vicious history of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces

The country’s feared RSF is no ordinary fighting force – they evolved from one of the most notorious militias in Africa; the Janjaweed

At 31 years old, Commander Mohammed Hamdan (aka 'Hemeti') leads the largest Janjaweed group in Darfur
The RSF is commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti Credit: Andrew Carter

This morning, Britain began a “large-scale” operation to rescue up to 4,000 Britons trapped in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

It’s high stakes, not least because many of the roads to the airport – where evacuees must get themselves – are controlled by the country’s feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF evolved over more than four decades from one of the most notorious militias in Africa; the Janjaweed.

They are no ordinary fighting force. Here’s why they stoke such fear.

Where did the Janjaweed come from?

Originally herders, the Janjaweed militias trace their roots to armed nomadic groups in western Sudan. 

They were first armed and formed into a fighting force in the early 1980s as the government competed to strengthen its influence in neighbouring Chad, which was embroiled in a long-running civil war.

The Janjaweed – who called themselves the horsemen – began raiding villages and wreaking havoc, but first attracted international attention after a terrible genocide in 2003.

A Sudanese Jinjaweed fighter rides on a horse in Sudan's western Darfur region near the Chadian border, 25 April 2004
The Janjaweed – who called themselves the horsemen – first attracted international attention after the 2003 genocide Credit: ESPEN RASMUSSEN/AFP

How did the genocide unfold?

The genocide – known as the first in the 21st century – happened in Darfur, a region in western Sudan.

In 2003, peasant workers rebelled against what they believed was unfair treatment by the government. In turn, the then president Omar al-Bashir rallied the Janjaweed to suppress the rebellion and slaughter followed.

While the Sudanese army used jets and helicopters to bomb the population, the Janjaweed went village to village.

Men were mutilated and murdered, women raped, and children kidnapped. Fields and houses were destroyed, wells poisoned, and valuable goods seized. 

The Janjaweed were accused of conducting ethnic cleansing of the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa peoples.

In total, an estimated 2.5 million people were displaced and 300,000 killed.  In a 2015 report, Human Rights Watch described the Janjaweed as “men with no mercy”.

A Sudanese man pictured in Nyala, South Darfur, who was shot in the arm by the Janjaweed militia when they attacked the village of Fasha
The Janjaweed went from village to village, mutilating and murdering men, raping women and kidnapping children Credit: Julian Simmonds

Why have they been allowed to thrive?

Political expediency. Sudan is an unstable country with many competing factions. The Janjaweed provides muscle and power.

Al-Bashir organised the Janjaweed into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a separate unit in 2013, initially to fight rebels in the Nuba Mountains. And in 2017, a law legitimised the group as an independent security force.

Among other things, they were used to clamp down on illegal migration from surrounding countries – Sudan shares borders with seven nations, including Libya and Chad.

Again the militia committed war crimes.

Human Rights Watch quoted one civilian, whose village was attacked, as saying: “They confiscated our belongings. They took our livestock.  They beat the men. And then they raped us. They raped us in a group. Some women were raped by 8 or 10 men.  Seventeen women were raped together. All of us were raped. Even the underage girls were raped.” 

Just last year, the Janjaweed were accused of killing at least 200 people in the city of Kreinik, in Darfur.

“They have removed the town from the Earth – more than 90 per cent of the houses have been burned out,” one man told the Guardian. “They even killed the animals that people brought [with] them around the hospital to protect them.”

Refugees wait in line for food rations on border of Chad and Sudan in 2004
In total, an estimated 2.5 million people were displaced and 300,000 killed Credit: OLAV A. SALTBONES/REUTERS/Norwegian Red Cross

What now for the Janjaweed?

It’s unknown but experts fear the worst.

The RSF is commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, who has fallen out with the head of the army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The rival generals together ousted president al-Bashir during pro-democracy protests against his 30-year rule in 2019, and entered into a power-sharing agreement. It was supposed to pave the way for democratic elections, but in 2021 the RSF and army staged another coup, which halted the transition to a democratically elected government. 

Tensions have been high for the ensuing two years, but conflict broke out on April 15 when the RSF refused to integrate into the regular army. Fighting between the armies – which both number over 100,000 – has now overwhelmed the country.

Yesterday a 72-hour ceasefire was negotiated. All major powers are evacuating their diplomats and people from Sudan this week. The fear is the country is about to descend into civil war.

Beyond that, say experts, nothing is clear.

The United Nations has warned the conflict “risks a catastrophic conflagration within Sudan that could engulf the whole region and beyond”.

Antonio Guterres, secretary general, said: “We must all do everything within our power to pull Sudan back from the edge of the abyss.”

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