News Report:
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have announced the arrest of several of their fighters, including a commander known as Abu Lulu, following international outrage over the killing of civilians in El Fasher. But the move has sparked widespread skepticism, with activists and analysts calling it a hollow attempt to contain global backlash rather than a step toward justice.
The RSF’s announcement came days after disturbing footage emerged showing fighters executing unarmed civilians in El Fasher, a key city in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. RSF-linked media released images of Abu Lulu being taken into custody, claiming accountability for “violations” during recent operations.
However, Sudanese activists and observers say the arrests are merely a distraction. “The detention of Abu Lulu appears to be a PR stunt to deflect global anger and shift attention away from the militia’s responsibility for this massacre,” said Mohamed Suliman, a Sudanese researcher based in Boston. “Many Sudanese did not buy into this and launched the hashtag ‘You Are All Abu Lulu,’ meaning the entire militia acts like him.”
Social media has since flooded with images of top RSF figures, including the group’s commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, and his brother and deputy, Abdul Rahim Dagalo, with the words “Abu Lulu” written beneath their faces. Investigators from the Centre for Information Resilience confirmed that Abdul Rahim was present in El Fasher during the attacks, adding further weight to claims of RSF complicity.
Hala al-Karib, a prominent Sudanese activist focusing on women’s rights, described the RSF’s move as a “painful joke,” saying it trivializes years of atrocities. “Hundreds of thousands have been killed, and women have been systematically raped during this conflict. Yet all they do is pretend accountability by arresting one man,” she said.
Rights groups warn that without independent investigations and genuine accountability, Sudan’s paramilitary forces will continue to operate with impunity while El Fasher’s survivors wait for justice that never comes.
