The war in Sudan that broke out last April between the National Army and the Rapid Support Forces militia has left a devastating impact, with thousands killed and millions displaced. Now one hundred days into the conflict, peace talks have failed to achieve any sustainable goals. In parallel with the war on the ground, the miltia launched a campaign to propagate to the Sudanese people and world that it could play a role that would bring stability and democracy to the country, attempting to conceal its long-term intentions to seize power and destroy any political process that leads to its end.

The Rapid Support Forces was created in 2013, primarily comprised of the infamous Janjaweed militia, which was used in counterinsurgency operations in Darfur and South Kordofan. The militia, now headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has committed crimes and atrocities over the  years including burning villages in Darfur and killing peaceful protestors during the Khartoum process. During the ongoing war. It has been reported that the miltia also arrested and tortured thousands of civilians and repurposed hospitals and religious places as shields.

Most recently, the militia started to rebrand itself as a legitimate player in the political landscape.   In July 2023, the militia leader appointed a political committee consisting of three members who are tasked with contacting and coordinating with other political parties and powers. In addition,  the militia’s political advisor participated in a conference convened in Togo about Darfur. The militia leader also announced the establishment of a humanitarian agency as one of its goals, to promote peace, culture, and eliminate hate speech. The miltia also published what it called a new vision for how Sudan should be governed and root causes of the country’s political instability and civil wars since its independence. 

This campaign, while carefully planned and executed, still fails to make any plausible case for several reasons: 

It’s clear the miltia is trying to buy time and impede discussing or deciding crucial issues about the country's future, namely the public oversight over the RSF militia gold companies, the responsibility of war crimes, and more importantly, the dismantling and the dissolution of the militia, a step Dagalo once not only vehemently rejected but also threatened that the whole country will be sent to chaos if anyone demands it.

The militia’s tribal formation precludes it from addressing the problems of the whole Sudanese people and will continue to represent and advance these narrowed interests and commit more massacres against other ethnicities. The militia mainly consists of particular tribes such as Rizayqat and Messiria and led by some members of the Daglo family, including, the deputy head of the miltia, Abdleraheem Daglo. Daglo has also registered the Al-gunade mining company, the militia’s main source of funding, under his name, Moreover, the miltia social media is run by the Dagalo’s brothers’ Dubai-based company.

Although it’s not expected for such a war militia to respect or abide by the legal framework of the country, it’s worth mentioning that the current law, which was passed In 2017 by the Sudanese parliament and granted the group the status of a regular force, limits its scope and mandate to backing the military in its operations. The militia is now trying to function as a political party and in many cases an independent state by developing its own political vision and discourse.

But what’s more to be concerned about is the militia’s threat to national ??security through its alliance with countries and powers who are paying for it. For several years, the militia has been receiving support from the UAE, through funneling millions of dollars through front companies and providing the militia with vehicles that could be repurposed for military uses. A recent news report exposed that UAE, in a clear violation to the UN arms embargo in Darfur, has supplied the miltia with military support through Chad.

During the outset of the ongoing war, the Russian Wagner group reportedly armed the militia with weapons through coordination with General Haftar, UAE’s ally in Libya.  Just days before his death, the group leader met with leaders from the RSF militia who handed him boxes of gold and he promised them to continue support in their battle against the Sudanese army.

Since 2015, the militia has been fighting in Yemen, and has been accused of sending children to the front. UAE is also interested in protecting its interests and plans in Sudan such as controlling the agricultural resources and strategic sea ports. UAE also fears any return of the Islamists to the forefront. For these reasons, UAE prefers and backs the RSF miltia taking over power in Sudan as opposed to any rise of any other grass root power such as the resistance committees or any other political coalition that may not be at its side.

Undoubtedly, the RSF militia has no coherent political project and can’t be trusted with Sudan’s future. It’s time for the democratic forces that seek sustainable peace and stability for the country to work on a post-war political framework that excludes the militia and its leaders. There are also practical steps that should be taken such as stopping the EU from any coordination with the miltia concerning the immigration control issue, The international community should understand that Dagalo is also not a trusted ally in the long run, and his warning  to Europe of an influx of refugees and defending the invasion of Ukraine is an example of how far he will go to follow his interests. More pressure on countries that export and facilitate the transportation of arms to the militia and placing sanctions on the militia is also needed for the time being to tame its power. 

Mohamed Suliman is a senior researcher at Northeastern University. Part of his research addresses the Rapid Support Forces miltia in Sudan.