The Rapid Support Forces 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 were deemed crimes against humanity by Human Rights Watch.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to mononymously as Hemedti, is a Sudanese military officer and the current head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A Janjaweed leader from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, he was the Deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état. Since 2013, Hemetti has commanded the RSF. He was considered by The Economist to be the most powerful person in Sudan as of early July 2019.
The following lists events during 2023 in the Republic of the Sudan.
The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2023.
Um Dafuq, also spelled Um Dafouk, Um Dafok, Um Dafog, is a town located across the Central African Republic–Sudan border in South Darfur. The town holds economic and commercial importance. It is the birthplace of Abdallahi ibn Muhammad.
The siege of El Obeid was a siege in El-Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, during the 2023 Sudan conflict. The battle began on April 15, and saw the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) capture the El Obeid airport from the Sudanese Army contingent in the city. Throughout April and May, the Sudanese Army repelled several RSF assaults on the city, although by May 30, the RSF fully surrounded the city and laid siege to it.
The Battle of Kutum was a conflict during the War in Sudan which occurred in and around the town of Kutum in North Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces quickly overran the city, and carried out massacres in the city and the neighboring Kassab IDP camp. The group then attacked neighboring villages in early June.
Khamis Abdullah Abakar also known as Khamis Abakar was a Sudanese politician, activist and former army commander who served as the Governor of West Darfur from 2021 until his assassination.
Mustafa Tambour is the leader of an Sudan Liberation Movement faction known as SLM-Tambour, which is involved in the conflict in Darfur, supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Before the 2023 Sudan conflict, he launched a community reconciliation initiative to stop the war in Darfur.
Abdel Rahman Jumma, also spelled Abdel Rahman Joma'a, is a Sudanese Major General in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who hails from Ed Daein, East Darfur. He faced accusations of grave violations, including war crimes and genocide, in the Darfur region during the war in Darfur and battle of Geneina including the Killing of Khamis Abakar. During the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), the Darfur Bar Association called for international prosecution and UN intervention in June 2023. Jumma's actions within the RSF sparked controversy due to their involvement in conflicts leading to unrest and displacement. In August 2023, the SAF's War Crimes Committee, led by Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council, listed Jumma among wanted individuals, emphasising crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide allegations.
The civil war in Sudan, which started on 15 April 2023, has seen widespread war crimes committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the RSF being singled out by the Human Rights Watch, and the United Kingdom and United States governments for committing ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo is a Sudanese military officer who is the deputy leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organisation in Sudan. Abdelrahim's political influence grew as he became the RSF's deputy leader in 2018, establishing strong ties within the Bashir regime. He played a role in the killing of the protesters during the 2019 protests.
Ardamata is a neighborhood located in the northeastern part of Geneina, Sudan. The neighborhood is near the Sudanese Armed Forces's 15th Infantry Division camp.
The Masalit massacres are an ongoing series of massacres of the Masalit ethnic group in Sudan perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan and its allies. The massacres began in 2023 during the Sudanese civil war when the RSF began committing organized mass killings of Masalit civilians in West Dafur.
Al 'Aylafun, or Al-Ailafoon or Al-Ailfoun, is a suburb district located 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Khartoum, Sudan.
The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) is a professional organisation for journalists in Sudan. The syndicate was re-established in August 2022 after more than three decades of absence. The last independent journalists' union was dissolved in 1989 when Omar al-Bashir came to power after a coup d'état.
The Central Reserve Forces (CRP), also known as Abu Tira due to the eagle on its logo, is a militarised police unit in Sudan known for committing atrocities during the War in Darfur and the Sudanese revolution. The CRP is sanctioned by the US for "serious human rights abuses".
The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2024.
The Wad Al-Noora massacre started at around 05:00 (GMT+2) on 5 June 2024, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the village of Wad Al-Noora in Al-Jazira state twice, killing at least 100 civilians. The massacre followed after the RSF sieged and opened fire on the village.
Abu Aqla Kikal, also spelled Abu Agla Keikel, is a former commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. In October 2024, he defected to the Sudanese Armed Forces, which triggered a series of violent retaliatory attacks by the RSF on civilians in the Gezira State. These attacks have resulted in numerous casualties and widespread displacement.
