The rebel Rapid Support Forces militia has freed the region’s most dangerous leaders of terrorist groups

Introduction:
Sudan’s strategic geographical positioning has been instrumental in addressing key security and stability concerns across Africa, particularly in its robust efforts to combat terrorism and various forms of international organized crime. The country has been targeted by terrorist organizations seeking to use it as a refuge and a conduit for operatives moving to active conflict zones, including in Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Nigeria, Libya, Yemen, Mali, and Niger, among others. Notably, Sudan has thwarted terrorist plots by groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other extremist factions, which have managed to establish operational networks within its borders. The proactiveness of Sudan’s General Intelligence Service (GIS) in disrupting these networks has been crucial in safeguarding the Sudanese populace from potential terrorist threats.
In the period leading up to the rebellion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese General Intelligence Service successfully executed multiple security operations that resulted in the disruption of a significant number of terrorist cells and the detention of numerous individuals associated with terrorism and extremism. These individuals have been subjected to legal actions, with some still awaiting their trials, underscoring Sudan’s commitment to maintaining national and regional security.
After the rebellion:
On April 15, 2023, the Rapid Support Forces militia led a rebellion aiming to seize power in Sudan, creating an environment conducive to the growth of terrorist activity through the following means:
The destruction of infrastructure in the capital forced approximately 76% of the population to be displaced and seek refuge in other states and neighbouring countries.
Looting and burning about 82% of the humanitarian work stock and resources of UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, and humanitarian aid commissions.
The theft of thousands of vehicles belonging to humanitarian organizations, and forcing 85% of international humanitarian workers to leave, resulted in a 79% decrease in the ability of those in need and affected to access humanitarian aid and protection.
The halting of more than 500 projects within the United Nations and other regional organizations’ humanitarian response plan in Sudan, which had been allocated more than $3 billion.
The looting and theft of about 120 tons of fertilizers and pesticides, the danger of which lies in the potential for terrorist organizations to use these materials to manufacture primitive explosive devices.
Following the rebellion of the Rapid Support Forces, new developments have emerged in the trajectory of terrorism in Sudan, which will have serious repercussions on the situation in Africa, especially in West Africa, the Sahel region, and East Africa. These developments demand attention, among which are:
The Rapid Support Forces militia attracted mercenaries based on ethnic affiliations that crossed the borders of several African countries from regions where terrorist organizations are active. This has facilitated the infiltration of terrorists from various countries (especially ISIS) seeking logistical support to enhance their capabilities and support their tribes.
The conduct of the Rapid Support Forces during the conflict deliberately provided opportunities for terrorists and criminal gangs to access weapons, funds, and direct support.
Terrorist elements from neighbouring countries, integrated into tribal groups supporting the militia, and actively participated in looting, and plundering public and private institutions, companies, banks, homes, vehicles, and other properties and assets. They returned to their countries with these resources, providing unlimited support to the terrorists’ capabilities in the region, which will manifest in terrorist operations, kidnappings, explosions, and more.
The Rapid Support Forces and the mercenaries they recruited, including terrorists from West Africa, looted many private vehicles from Khartoum State alone, no fewer than 150,000 of various types, excluding security forces’ vehicles.
The Rapid Support Forces deliberately stormed public prisons and released at least 18,292 prisoners, including some of the most dangerous criminals, encompassing several terrorists of Sudanese, Arab, and African nationalities, as well as habitual offenders involved in organized crimes such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and financial crimes. Some of them were recruited to fight within its forces.
Among the prisoners released by the rebel Rapid Support Forces from public prisons were terrorists and leaders of major transnational organized crime gangs, totalling 23.
Due to the danger posed by terrorist elements still under investigation and trial, they were detained in General Intelligence detention facilities under the supervision of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and were not released when the militia opened the public prisons.
The General Intelligence Service’s detention facility in Bahri was subjected to violent and continuous attacks by the Rapid Support Forces, as well as extensive recording over 10 months.
The heavy bombardment resulted in substantial damage to the building’s structure and the demolition of the external wall, with several shells penetrating the rooms of detainees, inflicting direct harm on them. The deliberate assault on the detention facilities led to the tragic loss of several officers and staff members responsible for the security of the detainees.
The Rapid Support Forces enacted a blockade around the Bahri region, effectively halting the influx of any additional forces that might bolster the security and protection of the detainees. In January, four individuals from Sudan successfully fled amidst an assault by the Rapid Support Forces on the General Intelligence detention centre where they were held. This group of escapees, known for their high level of danger, comprised members of Jabra’s cell and another faction adept at creating explosives, directed by a terrorist with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. Reports indicate that some of these escapees later aligned themselves with the Rapid Support Forces within the Bahri area.
Following the first group’s escape, assaults on the detention centres escalated to a daily occurrence, marked by the Rapid Support Forces’ persistent nocturnal efforts to breach the facility. This surge in activity can be attributed to members of the escaped group who had aligned with the militia, directing its forces to covertly enter the detention centre to free the remaining terrorists.
By mid-March, the militia executed a ferocious nighttime offensive, bombarding the detention facilities with heavy artillery, which facilitated the escape of an additional group of 13 individuals, including both Sudanese nationals and foreigners.
Up to this moment, the Rapid Support Forces continue to attack and bombard the General Intelligence Service’s detention facility daily to release or capture the remaining highly dangerous terrorist detainees, to claim in the media that the Sudanese army is fighting alongside terrorists.
Comment:
The militia’s actions violate both national and international laws through the intentional release and recruitment of highly dangerous terrorist detainees to aid in freeing additional terrorists. Terrorist leaders are likely embedded within the Rapid Support Forces, focusing on liberating detainees. This is particularly concerning given that the militia draws mercenaries from regions known as breeding grounds for terrorist organizations, including ISIS in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (Al-Qaeda), and Boko Haram.
Efforts to mitigate and suppress terrorism in the region hinge on halting external aid to the Rapid Support Forces, officially labelling it as a terrorist organization to be countered, enacting sanctions against its leadership, and including them on regional and global ban lists. Support for the Rapid Support Forces from regional and international quarters risks further destabilizing Sudan’s security landscape and, by extension, that of the wider region. This could bolster the operational and financial strength of terrorist groups and their associates, improve their intercommunication, and thereby escalate their activities and territorial expansion within the region.
The ongoing and widening conflict will have detrimental effects on a region already grappling with precarious security and political climates, alongside the presence of extremist factions in areas such as the Sahel, Sahara, Lake Chad, Libya, and East Africa, further compounded by the escalating operations of organized crime networks. The rebellion led by the Rapid Support Forces exemplifies how military collaborations between African insurgent groups and terrorist organizations can be formed or infiltrated, significantly endangering the region’s security and stability, particularly given the vulnerability of states in West Africa.
Border vulnerabilities and instability within West African nations have resulted in a lack of effective information sharing and cooperation among these countries. Consequently, this situation has enabled mercenaries and cross-border militias to move freely, organize, and partake in the conflict alongside the Rapid Support Forces. This situation presents significant risks to regional security, affecting all nations both now and in the future, without exception.