The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have exploited the chaos they helped create in Sudan. Emerging from the Janjaweed militias, the RSF has transformed into a hybrid force, blending paramilitary power with a criminal economy that thrives in disorder. This report unpacks the RSF’s role in Sudan’s economic collapse, illicit trade and political destabilisation, exposing how its survival depends not on battlefield victories, but on turning instability into an asset. Without dismantling this war economy, Sudan’s crisis will persist.
About the author
JR Mailey was a senior expert at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. He was formerly director of investigations for the Sentry, overseeing investigations into financial crimes and corruption linked to violence and atrocities. Earlier, JR was a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, where he specialised in natural resources, corruption and security in Africa.
Image credit: ISS
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