The war in Sudan that broke out in April between the country’s armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has already had a devastating impact. Thousands have been killed. Millions have been displaced. And that’s to say nothing of the massive destruction of buildings and infrastructure. In parallel with the battles on the ground, the militia launched a public relations and lobbying campaign to manipulate global perception and conceal its crimes and massacres.

And against the backdrop of all of this may be an unlikely presence: Canada.

A Canadian company is reportedly behind the RSF’s PR campaign, and a Canadian citizen is believed to be a policy advisor for the militia.

It should go without saying that Canada should not be a haven for militia lobbying efforts.

The RSF emerged primarily from the restructuring of the notorious Janjaweed militia in 2013, aiming to support the central government’s counterinsurgency operations in Darfur and South Kordofan. In 2017, the Sudanese parliament passed a law legitimizing its activities, despite the militia’s reported commissions of countless crimes and atrocities, including destroying villages, killing protestors,  sexual violations and rape, mass killings, unlawful detention, in addition to targeting hospitals and churches and killing based on ethnicity during the ongoing war. Most recently, the militia has reportedly developed solid military ties with the Russian Wagner group. 

In 2019, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, signed a $6 million contract with the Montreal-based company, Dickens & Madson (Canada) Inc., managed by former Mossad officer Aren Ben Mashi. The contract aimed to lobby the U.S., Russian Federation, Saudi governments, and international bodies like the U.N., alongside providing military training, security equipment, and averting negative policies and international media coverage. Although this lobbying contract drew criticism from international rights groups and a recommendation for investigation by the Canadian government, it was initially set for one year, renewable by mutual agreement.

To quote the contract released under the US Foreign Agent Registration Act, Dickens & Madson agreed in 2019 to:

“strive, among other goals, to conduct lobbying, in the United States, the Russian Federation and other countries to assure that you attain recognition as the legitimate transitionary leadership of the Republic of the Sudan. … We will … strive to arrange a public meeting between The Honorable President Trump and yourselves.”

The lobbying contract was castigated by international rights groups, and Canada’s federal authorities urged law enforcement authorities to investigate the firm.

The initial contract was valid for one year, but with a renewability clause. It is not clear based on publicly available sources whether the contract, or some variation thereof, remains in effect.

Earlier this year, Youssef Izzat, a lawyer with expertise in conflict resolution and international development, who arrived in Canada as a refugee from Darfur in 2003 and later gained citizenship, was employed as a policy advisor by the militia leader. Since taking on this role, Izzat has reportedly conducted a flurry of lobbying efforts, including a European PR tour aimed at persuading officials that the militia aims to protect civilians, endeavoring to cast doubt on war crimes and humanitarian violations attributed to the RSF, denying or attempting to shift the blame for allegations of sexual violence committed by militia forces, and coordinating with regional leaders on the militia’s behalf.

Given the scale of crimes and atrocities perpetrated by the militia against civilians, and its threat to Sudan and the region’s stability, it’s imperative that Canada take a stand against RSF militia lobbying activities. Canadian authorities should investigate whether the lobbying contract remains in effect. Additionally, I would argue that Youssef Izzat’s continuous involvement in shielding the militia’s crimes and advancing its interests warrants investigation.

Canada can and should take action, lest through inaction it helps facilitate the RSF militia’s next genocide in Darfur.

Mohamed Suliman is a senior researcher at the Northeastern University civic AI lab. He also holds a degree in Engineering from the University of Khartoum