Bellingcat investigation exposes Sudan’s viral child soldiers

An investigation by Bellingcat has found that videos featuring alleged child soldiers linked to Sudan’s rival military factions have drawn millions of views on TikTok, raising concerns among experts that social media fame may be fuelling recruitment in the country’s ongoing civil war.

Since fighting erupted in 2023 between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), young boys described online as “lion cubs” have appeared in widely shared clips portraying them as symbols of bravery and loyalty to their respective sides.

According to Bellingcat, numerous videos show the boys dressed in military attire, sometimes carrying weapons, alongside armed fighters and senior officials. The footage includes scenes of battlefield celebrations, speeches praising military victories and, in some instances, explicit threats of violence. Some clips appear to have been filmed close to active combat zones. The group said the videos frequently recirculate across hundreds of accounts, amplifying their reach and normalising the presence of children in military roles.

Bellingcat geolocated several videos posted in early December 2025 that appear to show a young teenager affiliated with the RSF at the site of the SAF’s 22nd Infantry Division base in Babanusa, West Kordofan, after it fell to RSF forces. The RSF seized the base on 1 December 2025 following a prolonged siege, consolidating its control over the region.

In one video, the boy is seen near the northern entrance of the base holding a rifle and celebrating alongside adult fighters. In another, he runs toward the main gate amid gunfire while chanting slogans marking the takeover. A separate graphic clip appears to show him filming among multiple bodies inside the compound.

One of the videos was viewed more than two million times before removal. Its soundtrack was later reused in hundreds of additional TikTok posts, including AI-generated content depicting the child alongside prominent RSF figures such as the group’s leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.

An RSF media adviser told Bellingcat that the group maintains a human rights unit and prohibits the participation of anyone under 18 in military operations. He described the child’s presence in celebratory footage as “unrelated to formal recruitment” and said allegations of child soldier use were politically motivated attempts to damage the RSF’s reputation.

Bellingcat also identified a TikTok account with more than 700,000 followers attributed to a boy aligned with the SAF. The account, which described itself as the child’s “official” page, featured highly produced videos showing the boy in SAF uniform alongside armed personnel and senior officials, often in ceremonial settings rather than at front lines.

Child protection specialists told Bellingcat that publicly glorifying minors in combat roles can encourage further recruitment. Michael Wessells, a professor at Columbia University who advises UN agencies on child soldiers, said celebrating children as fighters risks strengthening violent identities among adolescents “seeking recognition and belonging.” Mia Bloom of Georgia State University warned that viral visibility can create a “copycat effect,” turning young combatants into aspirational figures for other children. Gina Vale, a researcher on child soldier propaganda, said images of armed minors are designed to shock audiences while “signalling control over future generations.”

The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has created conditions where children are being recruited into armed groups. Reports from humanitarian organizations indicate that boys as young as 12 have been drawn into combat roles, while others are used for logistics, intelligence, and propaganda. The practice is widespread enough that videos of child fighters have circulated on social media platforms, turning them into symbols of the war and amplifying their exposure to violence.

Despite Sudan’s legal commitments to prohibit the use of child soldiers, enforcement is weak. Both SAF and RSF have been accused of violating international humanitarian law by recruiting minors, often exploiting poverty and displacement. Families in conflict zones face immense pressure, and children are sometimes coerced or manipulated into joining. The visibility of these children online has added a disturbing dimension, with propaganda videos normalizing their participation in war.

Internationally, the United Nations and human rights groups have condemned the practice, calling it a grave violation of children’s rights. The EU Agency for Asylum classifies child recruitment as persecution, and advocacy groups are pushing for stronger accountability measures. However, sanctions and monitoring mechanisms remain limited, leaving thousands of children vulnerable to exploitation. The issue underlines the broader humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where civilians, specially the youngest, bear the brunt of a devastating war.