Sudanese children abducted for recruitment by RSF and allies in South Kordofan raid

Sudanese paramilitaries from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied rebels abducted 21 children in South Kordofan state for recruitment as fighters. The boys, all aged 14 or 15, were among 150 men and youths seized during a raid on the al-Zallataya gold mine and surrounding areas on November 24. Witnesses reported that fighters went house-to-house and that some of the abducted boys later confirmed they were being held in a closed recruitment area. This event is part of an escalating conflict in the strategically important state, where a separate Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drone strike reportedly killed 45 civilians, mostly schoolchildren. The fighting involves the SAF, the RSF, and factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N), which has aligned with the RSF.