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The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) emerged from the ashes of one of Sudan’s darkest chapters—the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s. Initially known as the Janjaweed, this informal militia was mobilized by Sudan’s former regime under President Omar al-Bashir to crush rebel groups in Darfur.
These militias carried out widespread atrocities, including ethnic cleansing, rape, village burnings, and mass killings, predominantly targeting non-Arab communities. Under mounting international scrutiny, Bashir rebranded and legitimized these militias in 2013 as the RSF, formally integrating them into Sudan’s security framework while preserving their autonomy and raw power.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, is the central figure behind the RSF’s meteoric rise. Coming from a humble background as a camel trader, Hemedti used his roots in the Janjaweed to ascend through the ranks, eventually becoming commander of the RSF. His ascent was strategic—he consolidated loyalty through lucrative control of gold mines, especially in Darfur and other western regions, using the proceeds to expand RSF’s operations, recruit fighters, and acquire advanced weaponry.
His involvement in sending RSF troops to Yemen, on behalf of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, earned him money and regional political leverage. As a result, Hemedti transitioned from a provincial militia leader to one of Sudan’s most powerful men, often appearing in suits, attending state functions, and positioning himself as a national savior.
The uneasy coexistence between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) collapsed in April 2023, igniting one of the most destructive internal wars in Sudan’s history. Initially part of the transitional power-sharing government after Bashir’s ousting in 2019, the RSF increasingly resisted attempts at full integration into the national army.
Clashes broke out in Khartoum, the capital, and rapidly spread to Darfur and other parts of the country. The RSF swiftly captured key government buildings, airports, and military bases, plunging the urban heart of Sudan into chaos. What followed was a brutal struggle for control of the state, with RSF fighters entrenched in residential areas, turning cities into war zones and civilians into collateral damage.
As the conflict escalated, the RSF became synonymous with brutality. Human rights groups and survivors have documented extensive war crimes committed by RSF units, including the targeted killings of ethnic minorities, systematic rape, forced displacement, and the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Darfur, particularly the city of El Geneina, saw horrifying massacres where non-Arab populations were hunted and executed. Hospitals were ransacked, power stations destroyed, and aid convoys blocked, worsening the plight of millions already suffering. Cholera outbreaks surged in urban centers like Khartoum, after RSF strikes knocked out electricity and disrupted water supply networks.
By 2025, over 13 million Sudanese have been displaced. The RSF’s stranglehold on western Sudan has created famine-like conditions, with entire communities surviving without access to clean water or medical care. Meanwhile, the SAF’s counter-offensives have further devastated infrastructure and contributed to a humanitarian collapse.
Despite presenting itself as a reformist force intent on democratizing Sudan, the RSF’s actions reveal a different reality. The group seeks absolute power, autonomy from civilian oversight, and permanent control over Sudan’s economic arteries, particularly its gold mines and trade routes.
Hemedti has used media campaigns to shape his image as a protector of the Sudanese people, but on the ground, his fighters operate with impunity. Many fear the RSF aims to carve out its own state within Sudan—or worse, take full control of the country and rule as a military dictatorship.
The RSF’s transformation from a fringe militia into a national paramilitary force has been marked by violence, manipulation, and regional interference. As the civil war rages on, Sudan stands on the brink of total disintegration. The RSF’s grip on large swaths of territory, its control of gold wealth, and its defiance of integration into national institutions leave the country in a fragile and perilous state. Until the RSF is reined in—or its power dismantled—peace in Sudan remains a distant hope.
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