The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the arrest of 178 individuals, including humanitarian activist and nursing staff member Hamdan Abdullah Musa, by the Rapid Support Forces in Al-Da’ein city, East Darfur state, as part of a forced recruitment campaign aimed at compelling civilians to fight within its ranks.
Local union sources indicated that the detainees were presented with two options by the militia: either join the Rapid Support Forces and participate in combat, or pay a heavy financial ransom in exchange for their release — after they refused to fight alongside the militia.
The CFJ condemns these practices, describing them as a “crime against unarmed civilians,” noting that forcing civilians into armed conflict and detaining them in prisons without respecting the most basic human rights constitutes a serious violation of relevant international treaties, particularly international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
The CFJ holds the Rapid Support Forces fully responsible for the safety of the detainees and the conditions under which they are held, and calls for their immediate release. It also urges the international community to take urgent action and exert pressure to stop these grave violations targeting civilians, which contradict international customs, treaties, and human rights standards.
