Sudan’s “fake-female” online army boosts RSF messaging, security source says

January 5, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – A network of more than 3,000 fake female social media accounts is being used to conduct a large-scale propaganda campaign in support of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a security source told Sudan Tribune.

The source said the network includes both entirely fabricated profiles and “semi-fake” accounts using real names. These accounts played a key role in broadcasting synchronized live footage during the RSF takeover of El Fasher in late October.

Management of the network is coordinated through specialized operations rooms involving journalists, influencers, and experts in digital transformation both inside and outside Sudan, according to the source. These rooms aim to shape political narratives and exert international pressure via cyberspace.

“These pages seek to stifle the public sphere with misinformation,” said Abdullah al-Hadi Ibrahim, a digital field expert. He noted that both sides of the conflict, the Sudanese army and the RSF, utilize wide networks of fake pages to prevent message tracing and evade legal accountability.

The digital conflict has turned social media into a parallel front in the war that began in April 2023. Omnia Taj El-Sir, an AI and digital sciences researcher, said fake female accounts are designed to use emotional and humanitarian discourse to bypass direct political resistance.

“Hiding behind female personas provides operational protection,” Taj El-Sir said. “Socially, it is difficult to criticize these accounts directly. Any targeting is often framed as harassment or bullying of women, which is then used to silence critics.”

While the RSF’s digital activity has been highlighted, reports indicate the Sudanese army employs similar strategies. The army’s Moral Orientation Unit and the General Intelligence Service are reportedly tasked with managing counter-propaganda.

Official spokespeople for both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces did not respond to requests for comment regarding these digital operations.

Mazen Mohamed al-Abbas, a computer engineering specialist, said technical monitoring suggests many of these “female” accounts are actually operated by men within organized entities. He noted that female profiles typically see higher engagement and trust in conservative environments, making them effective tools for amplifying content.

The growing reliance on “electronic battalions” and assumed identities adds a layer of complexity to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, making information verification increasingly difficult amid sharp national polarization.