Eyewitnesses and local sources in Nyala, South Darfur, reported on Saturday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has been recruiting miners from traditional mining sites in the town of Sangou.
Sangou, located in the Radom locality, is approximately 288 kilometers south of Nyala.
According to multiple local sources in Sangou who spoke to Darfur24, between 350 and 400 young men from the Jambana, Aghbash, Zaraba, and Umm Hajara mines were gathered and transported to a training camp in Nyala in preparation for joining the RSF ranks.
The recruitment reportedly took place during June and July 2025.
Sources indicated that local administrative authorities in Radom and Baram exploited the rainy season, which halts gold mining activities, to mobilize miners aged 17 to 20 for combat training with the RSF.
The sources added that the recruits’ graduation is imminent, after receiving over forty days of military training at Nyala University in the Musia suburb, which has been converted into a military barracks by the RSF.
Citizens from Musia told Darfur24 that in July, they witnessed four large trucks carrying young men entering Nyala University. They noted that recruits leave the university every Friday, in either military or civilian clothing, to roam the Musia market.
