Sudan's militia accused of 'PR stunt' after arresting fighters

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claim to have arrested several of their fighters after outrage over the extent of killing in the city of El Fasher continues to build.

- Kaamil Ahmed

But the group's move has been met with scepticism from human rights campaigners and many Sudanese who see it as an attempt to temper criticism over the violence.

Much of the outrage has been focused on a single individual, Abu Lulu, whom RSF media outlets showed under arrest and being taken to a jail cell. Abu Lulu, a commander in the RSF, featured in numerous videos of fighters executing people in civilian clothing that emerged after Sunday's attack on El Fasher.

"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 and writer based in Boston.

"However, many Sudanese did not buy into this and launched a hashtag: 'You are all Abu Lulu' - meaning the entire militia acts like him."

Since the fighter's arrest, images have been shared on social media of various RSF leaders, including the chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as well as politicians considered to be linked to him, with the name Abu Lulu written underneath each of their faces.