Factbox-Sudan’s RSF: from Arab militia to force battling the army for power

DUBAI (Reuters) – The U.N. human rights office said on Thursday at least 87 people including women and children had been buried in a mass grave in Sudan’s West Darfur, saying it had credible information they were killed by the country’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

RSF officials denied any involvement, saying the paramilitary group was not a party to the conflict in West Darfur.

Here are some facts about the RSF.

* The RSF is commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who before war broke out between the RSF and the army was deputy head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council. He is commonly known as Hemedti. Analysts estimate the RSF numbers about 100,000, with bases and deployments across the country.

* It has been locked since April 15 in a war with the army that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis in the region. Mobile RSF fighters have kept up the fight despite army airstrikes.

* It evolved from so-called Janjaweed militias that fought in a conflict in the 2000s in the Darfur region, where they were used by the government of long-ruling President Omar al-Bashir to help the army put down a rebellion.

* An estimated 2.5 million people were displaced and 300,000 killed in the conflict. International Criminal Court prosecutors accused government officials and Janjaweed commanders of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. No charges were brought against Hemedti.

* Over time RSF forces grew, and were used as border guards in particular to clamp down on irregular migration. In tandem, Hemedti’s business interests expanded, and his family extended holdings in gold mining, livestock and infrastructure.

* In 2015, the RSF, along with Sudan’s army, began sending troops to fight in the war in Yemen alongside Saudi and Emirati troops, allowing Hemedti to forge ties with the Gulf powers.

* In 2017, a law legitimising the RSF as an independent security force was passed. Military sources said the army’s leadership had long expressed concern about the development of Hemedti’s forces.

* In April 2019, the RSF participated in the ousting of Bashir during a popular uprising. Later that year Hemedti signed a power-sharing agreement that made him deputy of the ruling council headed by army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

* Before the signing in 2019, activists accused the RSF of participating in killing dozens of pro-democracy protesters. Rights groups have also accused RSF soldiers of tribal violence. Hemedti removed immunity from some, allowing for their prosecution. He later apologised for crimes by the state against the Sudanese people, without elaborating.

* The RSF took part in a coup in October 2021 that halted the transition to elections. Hemedti later said he regretted the coup and expressed approval for a new deal to restore full civilian government ahead of elections.

* The Sudanese army as well as pro-democracy groups demanded the RSF’s integration into the regular armed forces. That, along with the chain of command under a new transition, were points of dispute that contributed to the outbreak of fighting.

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