RSF accused of kidnapping 97 people from West Kordofan gold mine

January 15, 2026 (EN NAHUD) – Activists on Thursday accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of kidnapping nearly 100 people from a gold mining site in West Kordofan state and taking them to an unknown location.

The RSF maintains control over the entirety of West Kordofan state, where it carries out intermittent attacks on villages for the purpose of looting. The group has also been accused of detaining and torturing any individuals who oppose these actions.

The Dar Hamar Emergency Room said in a statement that RSF militias arrested 97 young men on Wednesday in the Eyal Bakhit area of West Kordofan. The group said the men were detained while travelling toward gold mining areas after the RSF had restricted their livelihoods through various pressures.

“Despite undergoing interrogation and informing the militia of their civilian status and intended destination, they were forcibly taken away under false pretences on the grounds that they were mobilized volunteers,” the statement said.

The group said the fate and whereabouts of the detainees remain unknown, increasing fears for their safety. The emergency room described the incident as part of a series of flagrant violations committed by the RSF against the people of West Kordofan.

The Greater Kordofan region, which comprises three states, has become a primary flashpoint in the Sudanese conflict, especially after the RSF’s seizure of El Fasher in North Darfur state on October 26.