Sudan’s Rapid Security Forces

Sudan’s Rapid Security Forces

Subject :International Relations

Section: Places In news

Why in News?

Sudan’s military and its paramilitary forces have been involved in a fierce battle against each other since April 15, leaving at least 420 people dead and more than 3,700 wounded. The clashes follow months of heightened tension between the Army Chief and the Rapid Support Force (RSF) head. Both the generals are at loggerheads as they fight for control of Sudan’s major institutions.

Rapid Support Forces in Sudan

• Trace its roots to the Janjaweed militias — a group of Arab tribes primarily based in western Sudan, including the contentious region of Darfur.
• Janjaweed militias called themselves horsemen – helped the Sudanese government quell a rebellion by peasants in Darfur by perpetrating violence against the rebels and civilians in isolated areas.
• According to the United Nations, an estimated 300,000 people were killed in the conflict between 2003 and 2008, and 2.5 million more were displaced.
• In 2007, the United States government declared the violence in Darfur “genocide” perpetrated by the government and its allied forces, including the Janjaweed militias.
• The International Criminal Court opened investigations into the genocidal violence, indicting Sudan’s then President Bashir, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in 2009.

Formal Constitution in 2013.

• The Sudan President institutionalized the Janjaweed militias in 2013, when it became the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Hamdan was appointed as its head.
• Then, RSF carried out brutal violence across Sudan – war crimes in Darfur in 2014 and 2015, killing over 100 people in Khartoum in 2019.
• Expanded to become the President’s guard against any coup by the Army.
• In 2015, the RSF along with Sudan’s Army, supplied troops to fight in the war in Yemen to support Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates troops, in return for received money and weapons.
• Partnered with the Russian mercenary Wagner Group in 2017 to mine the vast gold reserves in Sudan, which expanded the political, economic and political influence of RSF. Led to conflict with the Army.
• Members include former military and intelligence officers with estimated 70,000 to 1,50,000 fighters. More fighters recruited from Sudan’s east and north to widen support.

About the International Criminal Court

• ​The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
• Governed by an international treaty called ‘The Rome Statute’, the ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court.
• India is not a party to Rome Statute along with US and China and thus, is not a member of ICC.
• ICC is not a UN organization but is has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations.
• When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer the situation to the ICC granting it jurisdiction. This has been done in the situations in Darfur (Sudan) and Libya.