Remote-control breakdown: Sudanese paramilitary forces and pro-government militias

This Issue Brief examines the history of Sudan’s militia strategy and the role of militias in the country’s armed conflicts, notably in Darfur and the Two Areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. It discusses the use of paramilitary forces and militias in Sudan from the 1980s until the present day, including their alleged roles in resource exploitation. It then examines the longterm economic, political, and social costs of the militia strategy for the Sudanese state and society. Finally, it discusses the implications of the militia strategy for any future security sector reform (SSR) process in Sudan, noting that the maintenance of a paramilitary marketplace in Sudan is an impediment to peacebuilding there and in the wider region.

This brief was originally published by the Small Arms Survey.