ABSTRACT
The militias’ participation with Sudanese army in civil wars has a span of almost five decades, and projected different forms, orientations, ideology, ethnic composition, and status. This chapter aims at analyzing the development of the pro-government militias in the Darfur region of Sudan after the eruption of the conflict in 2002–2003, and more specifically the trajectory of the Rapid Support Forces, from Darfur wars until its recent emergence as a key political player at the top of the Sudanese state. By doing so, the chapter examines the nature of their relationship to the Sudanese army; explores the impact of this relationship on the military doctrine, tactics, organization, and corporate interests; and investigates the impact of the participation of the militias on civil-military relations in Sudan. The first section of this chapter gives a brief outline of the war in Darfur and the emergence of the militias (that cannot be isolated from the regional context). The second section examines the emergence of the militias and their development after 2002–2003 conflict, until the formation of the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The third section focuses on the rise of the RSF as a political actor, especially since the 2018 December Revolution. In conclusion, I develop some remarks on the impact of the militias on the military structure and on civil-military relations.
