teleSur
Recruitment operations are being carried out in the outlying areas of the capital, Khartoum. According to testimonies given to Al Jazeera by young returnees from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), whose ages range from 14 to 20 years, the objective of participating in the fighting is to obtain money and spoils of war.
One of the returning soldiers confirmed to the media that “recruitment is taking place in abundance in the areas south of Khartoum: Al-Salma Al-Azhari, Ed Hussein Al-Inqath, May, and Soba.”
Another one named “A” said: I have been unemployed for a long time, and a friend told me that the subsidy provides incentives of “3” million pounds (50 USA dollars) to recruits for his ranks, in addition to the spoils. He added: Indeed, I went with a friend, but they handed us “500” thousand pounds and told us that the rest of the amount is due a week later, after the end of the training.
He added, “We were trained quickly for one week, moving between the Soba campgrounds and the Chinese farm south of Salama areas, and soon we were forced into the battles of Taiba Camp and the Central Reserve.”
He explained that his friend was traumatized by the battles, and now he has lost his mind and has become “crazy.” He explained that he preferred to escape from the hell of war. Likewise, he added, “But unfortunately, I cannot return home for fear of the military police of the RSF and the criticism of family and neighbors.”
As the conflict in #Sudan enters its fourth month, the battle lines are hardening, making it ever more difficult to reach the millions of people who need urgent humanitarian assistance.
Over 2.6 mln people are internally displaced, while more than 730,000 have fled the country. pic.twitter.com/I4lzrjDkos
— United Nations Geneva (@UNGeneva)
July 20, 2023
M.A. explained that he does not know anything about the military and has never thought about it. As he works in marginal professions, he joined Rapid Support after he could not find a job. He added, “I left Rapid Support under pressure from my family.”
Othman “A” told Altaghyeer that two of his relatives suddenly disappeared from the house and that he later learned that they had joined the Rapid Support Forces with the aim of obtaining money. One of them works as a driver and the other as a “cook.” He added, “Until now, we do not know their whereabouts, and they have not contacted us for a while, so we are worried because of the continuous air strikes.”
Accounts affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces confirmed on social media that they are recruiting young people in Khartoum, especially after the army commander, Al-Burhan, announced the general mobilization.
