ANALYSIS: DO THE RSF HAVE A CAUSE OR ARE THEY JUST GUNS FOR HIRE?

The UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan are under scrutiny for their campaign of violence. This analysis explores whether the RSF is an armed group with a cause or a mercenary militia: mere guns for hire, selling services to the highest bidder.

The RSF evolved from the Janjaweed militias, predominantly recruited from western Sudanese nomadic Arab tribes, that were used by ex-president Omar al-Bashir's regime to crush the Darfur rebellion. However, material gain often motivated these militias, leading to internal conflicts.

Formed in 2013, the RSF's importance grew in the eyes of the regime, as it was deployed against rebellions elsewhere in Sudan and protests in Khartoum. They also secured foreign funding, supported a rebellion in the Central African Republic, and benefited from a $200 million EU allocation to curb migration into Europe.

But the pivotal moment was the 2015 intervention in Yemen, after which deployment became the RSF's most significant employer in its Darfur stronghold. It also introduced the militia to their most important client: the UAE.

After RSF commander Hemedti rose to a vice-president-like role in 2019 following his role in the coup that ousted Al-Bashir, the militia became a full-blown international mercenary force for the UAE's interests, including deployment to Libya.

In 2023, the RSF attempted to seize power, initiating the current war. The RSF now acts as a proxy for the UAE's imperial ambitions to control Sudanese gold, ports, and agriculture. Backed by Emirati money, the RSF has transformed into a transnational mercenary force, recruiting fighters from across Africa and even Colombia.

But the same issues remain. The mercenary motivation, driven by financial gain, makes internal violent competition inevitable. Thus, despite the RSF's roots in the supremacist cause of western Sudanese nomadic Arabs, the militia's core operational fuel remains gold, foreign money, and the spoils of war.