RSF forcibly recruits from Darfur camp amid mounting losses

November  15, 2024 (EL FASHER) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is forcibly recruiting men from a displaced persons camp in North Darfur, the latest escalation in its campaign to bolster its ranks amid a protracted war with the Sudanese army.

The move comes after RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, called for one million fighters to join his forces following a battlefield setback in early October.

The RSF has tasked tribal leaders and allied clan chiefs with spearheading recruitment efforts to deploy new recruits to the front lines in Khartoum, El Fasher, and other areas.

On Friday, the Darfur Displaced and Refugees Coordination accused the RSF of detaining dozens of young men from a camp in Shangil Tobaya and forcing them into military service.

“The RSF is pressuring young people in the Shangil Tobaya camps, kidnapping them and torturing them,” said Adam Rijal, a spokesperson for the displaced persons organization, in a statement.

Rijal said the RSF also confiscated Starlink internet devices and ordered camp administrators in Shangil Tobaya to recruit 150 young men within two days. He further accused the RSF of widespread looting and the destruction of farms belonging to displaced people.

Shangil Tobaya, located 55 kilometres southwest of El Fasher, hosts two of the largest displacement camps outside the North Darfur capital.

In September, displaced people in Shangil Tobaya accused the RSF of blocking essential food supplies and confiscating food and medicine, creating a severe humanitarian crisis.