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 qualify as crimes against humanity in the opinion of Human Rights Watch.
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to mononymously as Hemedti, Hemetti, Hemeti, or Hemitte, is a Janjaweed leader from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, who was the Deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état. Since 2013, Hemetti has commanded the Rapid Support Forces (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 Battle of Geneina, also known as the Geneina massacre, was a battle for control of Geneina, the capital of West Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). By 25 April 2023, fighting intensified and devolved along tribal lines, with Masalit and non-Arab peoples supporting the SAF and the aligned Joint Darfur Force—consisting of former rebel groups including the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice and Equality Movement—against the RSF and allied Arab militias.
The following is a timeline of the War in Sudan (2023-present).
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.
Kreinik, or AlKuraynik or Kereneik, is a town located in West Darfur, Sudan, located 50 miles (80 km) east of Geneina.
Abu Adam ,or Abu Adam neighbourhood and was officially known as Al Farouk City, is one of the neighbourhoods of Khartoum, Sudan, located in the southern side of Khartoum.
Jabra, or Gabra, is one of the neighbourhoods of Khartoum, Sudan, located in the southern side of Khartoum.
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 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 2023 Sudan conflict, 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 RSF'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 war in Sudan, which started on 15 April 2023, has seen a widespread of 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 crimes against humanity. The conflict was marked by heavy indiscriminate shelling, gunfire, and airstrikes on markets and populated residential neighbourhoods, causing a high number of fatalities. Hospitals were targeted during aerial bombings and artillery fire, and medical supplies were looted. These attacks severely impacted Sudan’s healthcare system, disrupting medical services and leaving the majority of the hospitals in conflict-affected states out of service. The UN declared Sudan the most dangerous country for humanitarian workers after South Sudan.
Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo is a Sudanese 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.
In 2023, multiple massacres have been perpetrated by the RSF in many towns in Darfur during the Sudan war. Such massacres include the Ardamata massacre, Misterei massacre and the Geneina massacre, all of which targeted Masalit civilians. These massacres were described by The Economist, Genocide Watch, US academic Eric Reeves, and Khamis Abakar, as a "genocide".
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".
