The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan's powerful paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — widely known as Hemedti — has grown into a force of approximately 450,000 fighters, according to recent assessments by international security analysts and United Nations monitors. The figure represents a dramatic escalation from the RSF's estimated strength of around 100,000 at the outbreak of the war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023, reflecting both intensive recruitment campaigns and the absorption of allied militias across Darfur, Kordofan, and other regions.
The expansion has been fueled by aggressive conscription in areas under RSF control, the incorporation of former JANJAWID paramilitary units — the Arab militia that earned notoriety during the Darfur crisis — and the reported recruitment of foreign combatants, including Colombian mercenaries allegedly supplied via UAE supply chains, as documented by multiple investigative reports. The growing firepower has enabled the RSF to hold vast swathes of territory even as the Sudanese Army, under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has regained control of Khartoum and parts of central Sudan.
Hemedti's "Forty-Year War" Warning
Speaking at an RSF gathering in late May 2026, Hemedti delivered a stark warning that stunned even his own commanders. "We do not want this war to continue," he told assembled fighters at an undisclosed location, before adding: "But if they want it to go on for 40 years, it will continue until they are uprooted." The statement, widely circulated on social media, signaled that the RSF leader sees no near-term political or military solution to the conflict, and is prepared for a protracted campaign that could last decades.
The declaration drew immediate condemnation from Sudan's civilian government, which called it evidence of RSF "genocidal intent." It also raised alarm among regional actors, including Egypt, which borders Sudan to the north and has been increasingly drawn into the conflict through cross-border tensions with Ethiopian forces reportedly allied with the RSF.
Drone Warfare and Civilian Casualties Escalate
The RSF's growth comes amid an intensification of drone warfare across Sudan. Since January 2026, nearly 700 civilians have been killed in drone strikes attributed to both the RSF and the SAF, according to UN humanitarian agencies. The capital Khartoum, which the army recaptured in early 2025, has been struck repeatedly in recent weeks, with attacks damaging infrastructure and disrupting the slow return of displaced residents. On Saturday, a drone strike killed five civilians in a vehicle in southern Omdurman, across the Nile from central Khartoum.
More than 1.8 million displaced people have returned to Khartoum since its recapture, according to UN figures, only to find dilapidated infrastructure, limited electricity, and unreliable access to clean water. The resumption of RSF drone strikes threatens to reverse these fragile gains and could spark a new wave of displacement.
Foreign Interference and Regional Dimensions
The Sudanese government has accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates of launching drone attacks on Khartoum and its airport since March 2026 from inside Ethiopian territory. Both countries have denied involvement, and the details remain impossible to verify independently. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF through supply routes passing through Libya and other intermediary points — an allegation it denies. Ethiopia has denied hosting RSF or UAE forces on its territory, as Sudan's foreign ministry recalled its ambassador to Addis Ababa in May 2026.
The widening web of foreign involvement has transformed what began as a power struggle between two Sudanese factions into a broader geopolitical contest with implications for the entire Horn of Africa. International mediators from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt — collectively known as the "Quad" — have so far failed to broker a humanitarian ceasefire, with both sides refusing to engage meaningfully.
Outlook: A War With No End in Sight
Army chief al-Burhan has repeatedly insisted his forces will fight until victory, demanding the RSF's complete disarmament as a precondition for any peace deal — a demand the RSF has rejected outright. For his part, Hemedti's "40 years" comment suggests the RSF is preparing for a long war of attrition rather than seeking compromise. With both sides dug in, the international community increasingly resigned to failure, and regional powers deepening their involvement, Sudan appears headed toward a prolonged conflict with no visible exit ramp.