RSF accused of systematic child abductions in Darfur

Eyewitnesses who spoke to Reuters reported that fighters from Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out multiple child abductions in Darfur, including during their October takeover of the city of El Fasher, and in some instances after killing the children’s fathers. According to testimonies from individuals contacted, at least 23 incidents have been documented since 2023, during which approximately 56 children — ranging in age from infants to teenagers — were abducted either directly from their families or in the aftermath of armed confrontations between the forces and local communities.

Witnesses stated that in some cases, fighters informed families that the children would be used as slaves for herding livestock or other forms of forced labor, reflecting a systematic pattern of forced displacement and child exploitation within the paramilitary. One witness reported that while being detained near El Fasher, they saw fighters open fire on families and then take children from among the bodies or from their mothers after killing their fathers. The fate of these children remains unknown.

The security situation in Darfur indicates that the RSF’s military control over major cities has not only eliminated the state’s official presence but has also reshaped the public landscape through coercive practices and parallel security mechanisms, creating an extremely dangerous environment for civilians — particularly vulnerable groups such as children and women. Areas where these operations have been reported, including El Fasher, El Geneina, and Nyala, are experiencing an almost complete institutional vacuum, with the collapse of traditional security forces and the deterioration of civilian protection services. This has made abductions and systematic violence easier to carry out and more widespread.

The humanitarian dimension of this phenomenon is particularly alarming. Available indicators suggest that the forced displacement and movement of children have become a recurring structure for reshaping local communities. Abducted children face direct threats to their lives and to their psychological and physical well-being in the absence of any effective protection mechanisms. Affected families, meanwhile, are living in a state of ongoing trauma and social collapse, compounded by the loss of economic and livelihood resources due to continued conflict and the systematic looting of local markets.

From a legal perspective, international law experts note that these acts, if confirmed, may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, including enslavement, forced abduction, and the economic exploitation of children. Such violations represent a clear breach of international treaties on the rights of the child and could give rise to international accountability.

Overall, the situation points to a compounded crisis in Darfur, where the collapse of the security order intersects with the disintegration of humanitarian and economic services, further increasing civilian vulnerability and exposing children to systematic abuses. These practices not only affect abducted children and their families but also contribute to the erosion of the social fabric in surrounding cities and villages, fostering a persistent environment of fear and mistrust between local communities and armed forces, and undermining any potential efforts to restore stability and peace in the region.