RSF's 'Unintentional' Border Clashes: Convenient Amnesia on Proxy Wars
📰 THE STORY: Al-Monitor reports that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have called clashes near the Chadian border 'unintentional,' after seven Chadian soldiers died. Chad accuses Sudan's government of backing the paramilitary RSF, suggesting complex, shifting alliances in the region. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The RSF emerged directly from the Janjaweed militias,
notorious for atrocities during the Darfur genocide in the early 2000s, where estimated hundreds of thousands died. These militias were armed and supported by the Sudanese government at the time, ironically, to suppress rebellions. Fast forward to 2013, the RSF was formally instrumentalized, trained, and equipped by the very government it now fights, a common tactic for proxy forces that often
backfires. Double Standard: When a US-backed proxy force 'accidentally' crosses a border and kills soldiers, it's a 'mistake' or 'tragedy.' Had a force aligned with, say, Chinese or Russian interests done the same, it would be framed as 'aggressive expansionism' or 'premeditated hostile action,' with calls for immediate UN Security Council condemnation and sanctions. The language sanitizes the
actions of favored actors. Follow the Money: The RSF, for all its current 'independent' actions, has deep financial ties to regional and international actors. Before the current conflict, the RSF controlled gold mines, providing illicit revenue. Critically, both the RSF leader Hemedti and Sudan's military leader Burhan received significant military and financial backing from the UAE and Saudi