Khartoum, September 28 (Darfur24)
Eyewitnesses and local sources in Nyala, South Darfur, alleged on Saturday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have recruited hundreds of young men from traditional gold mining areas in Songo town, Al-Radom locality, about 288 kilometers south of Nyala.
Sources told Darfur24 that between 350 and 400 young men from the Jambana, Aghbash, Daraba, and Umm Hajara mines were allegedly gathered and transported to a training camp in Nyala during June and July 2025.
Leaders in Al-Radom and Baram reportedly took advantage of the rainy season, when mining activities pause, to mobilize miners aged 17 to 20 to fight alongside the RSF.
According to the sources, the recruits have been undergoing military training for more than 40 days at Nyala University in the Musaya suburb, which the RSF has converted into a military barracks, and are expected to graduate soon.
Residents of Musaya told Darfur24 they witnessed four trucks carrying young men entering Nyala University in July. They said the recruits regularly leave the university on Fridays in military or civilian clothing to roam around the Musaya market.
The RSF-linked Al-Junaid Company operates in the Songo gold mines, a major traditional mining hub, making it a key recruitment ground for the group.