Also known as: RSF · RSF fighters
Paramilitary force engaged in Sudan's civil war against the military-led government since April 2023, accused of systematic sexual violence and drone strikes in Darfur and Kordofan.
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The Namibian
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are accused of deadly strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure
“Those attacks were blamed on the Sudanese military by local reports and war monitors, but both sides are accused of deadly strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
Drones hammer Sudan's gold and oil zone – the pivotal new front lineThe Namibian
RSF consolidated its hold of Darfur by capturing el-Fasher in October
“The south-central region became the main battlefield after the RSF consolidated its hold of Darfur by capturing the city of el-Fasher in October.”
Drones hammer Sudan's gold and oil zone – the pivotal new front lineThe Namibian
Rapid Support Forces erupted in heavy fighting with local fighters aligned to the Sudanese army in al-Tina
“The closure was announced after heavy fighting erupted in the border town of al‑Tina between Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and local fighters aligned to the Sudanese army.”
Chad shuts border with Sudan in bid to stop conflict spreadingNew Era
Rapid Support Forces blamed for carrying out drone strike that killed two children and injured 12 others
“A drone strike blamed on Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed two children and injured 12 others yesterday in the southern city of El-Rahad, a medical source told AFP.”
Sudan paramilitary drone strike on school kills two childrenThe Namibian
Rapid Support Forces forced out the military when civil war erupted in 2023
“The military was forced out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) when civil war erupted between the two sides in 2023.”
Sudan's government returns to capital after nearly 3 years of warThe Namibian
Rapid Support Forces rejected accusations of systematic abuses against civilians
“The RSF told the BBC it rejected accusations of systematic abuses against civilians.”
‘I saw them driving over injured people' – the terrifying escape from war in SudanThe Namibian
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been killing civilians and solidifying control over West Darfur state after taking over el-Fasher
“The RSF has been killing civilians and solidifying its control over the West Darfur state after taking over el-Fasher, the last remaining army stronghold in the region, in late October.”
War in Sudan: Humanitarian, fighting and control developmentsThe Namibian
RSF militias engaged in mass killings, rape of women and girls, and taking hostages for ransom mass killings, rape of women and girls, and taking hostages for ransom
“Evidence shows RSF militias engaged in mass killings, rape of women and girls, and taking hostages for ransom.”
War in Sudan: Humanitarian, fighting and control developmentsThe Namibian
the RSF denied receiving support from external parties
“The paramilitary group repeated denials that it does not receive support from external parties and said it did not accept attempts to scapegoat it in order to cover up the army's rejection of the truce.”
US calls for international action to cut weapons supply to Sudan paramilitariesThe Namibian
The RSF denied accusations they were killing civilians
“The RSF have denied accusations they were killing civilians.”
Sudan's army loses key city of el-Fasher to paramilitary RSF after 18-month siegeThe UN aid chief reported that nearly 700 civilians were killed in drone strikes in Sudan in the first three months of 2024, as the three-year civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has created what the UN calls the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with over 11 million displaced and nearly 34 million people requiring humanitarian support.
15 April 2026 · New Era →
The UN aid chief reported that nearly 700 civilians were killed in drone strikes in Sudan in the first three months of 2024, as the three-year civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has created what the UN calls the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with over 11 million displaced and nearly 34 million people requiring humanitarian support.
15 April 2026 · New Era →
Mohamed Suleiman, a journalist trapped in Sudan's el-Fasher for three years by a communications blackout during the civil war, finally reached Port Sudan in January and reconnected with the world. His account documents systematic killings, famine conditions, and the inability of the international community to stop the fighting or provide adequate humanitarian aid.
15 April 2026 · The Namibian →
A Yale University research lab's analysis of satellite imagery and open-source data shows that an Ethiopian military base near the Sudanese border is providing support to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has been at war with Sudan's army since April 2023. The researchers identified repeated deliveries of light pickup trucks and heavy weapons to the base that were later observed in RSF operations in Sudan's Blue Nile state, contradicting Ethiopia's denials of involvement in the conflict.
10 April 2026 · New Era →
A drone strike on the paramilitary-controlled town of Kutum in Sudan's North Darfur state has killed 12 civilians, including six children, according to medical sources and local activists. The strike comes amid intensified drone attacks by Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been at war since April 2023.
10 April 2026 · New Era →
Doctors Without Borders reports that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and allied militias are systematically using sexual violence against civilians in Darfur as a means of control and war weapon. Between January 2024 and November 2025, MSF facilities treated at least 3,396 survivors of sexual violence, 97% of them women and girls, though the organisation warns this figure represents only a fraction of the true scale of atrocities.
1 April 2026 · New Era →
In Sudan's Kordofan region, caught in intense fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, civilians report near-daily drone strikes that have killed hundreds and spread fear, with both sides deploying cheap "kamikaze" drones and advanced strategic weapons supplied by foreign backers. The strikes on markets, hospitals, and homes have driven traders away, caused food shortages, and disrupted aid access in areas already threatened by famine.
31 March 2026 · New Era →
A new Médecins Sans Frontières report based on 3,396 victims treated across Darfur documents rape and sexual assault as a persistent and defining feature of Sudan's civil war, with non-Arab communities systematically targeted and attacks continuing even in areas away from active conflict.
31 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Almost three years into Sudan's conflict between the military-led government and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a recent commercial flight to Khartoum signals potential normalcy, but the underlying causes of the war remain unresolved. Both sides view the conflict as existential, foreign powers continue supplying weapons, and analysts warn that without comprehensive mediation addressing root causes—including demilitarisation, constitutional reform, and accountability for war crimes—the conflict could drag on for decades and potentially splinter the nation.
5 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Ethiopia's Media Authority revoked the licence of independent online outlet Addis Standard on 24 February, citing violations of media ethics and endangerment of national interests. The action is part of a broader crackdown on press freedom ahead of legislative elections in June, with journalists from Reuters, Deutsche Welle, and BBC also having credentials denied or not renewed in recent months.
26 February 2026 · New Era →
Sudan's civil war has intensified in the gold and oil-rich Kordofan region, with near-daily drone attacks killing civilians and shaping the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Both sides are accused of strikes on civilian infrastructure, and the fighting threatens to widen into a regional conflict as fighting spreads to the Blue Nile region.
25 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Chad shut its eastern border with Sudan "until further notice" as a security measure after fighting in the border town of al-Tina killed at least eight people, with authorities citing repeated incursions by Sudanese armed groups and the spread of Sudan's civil war toward Chadian territory. The closure affects nearly a million Sudanese refugees already in Chad and humanitarian access to Sudan, though exemptions for humanitarian reasons may be granted.
24 February 2026 · The Namibian →
A drone strike blamed on Sudan's Rapid Support Forces killed two children and injured 12 others at a traditional Koranic school in El-Rahad, in the Kordofan region, which has become the fiercest battlefield in the ongoing civil war between the RSF and the regular army since April 2023.
12 February 2026 · New Era →
Somalia's defence minister and his Saudi counterpart signed a military cooperation agreement in Riyadh on Monday, part of broader strategic competition in the Horn of Africa between Gulf monarchies Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
11 February 2026 · New Era →
Sudan's military-led government has returned to Khartoum after nearly three years of operating from Port Sudan following the 2023 civil war outbreak between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The capital, which saw roughly five million residents flee and suffered mass destruction, now faces a lengthy recovery effort as the government pledges to restore electricity, water, healthcare and education services.
13 January 2026 · The Namibian →