Sudan’s govt. militia starts ‘head-shaving campaign’ in Khartoum North

Members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s main militia, began shaving the heads of men with “deviant hair styles” in northern Khartoum last week.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, listeners reported from Khartoum North’s East Nile locality that the head-shaving campaign began on Tuesday.

The paramilitaries are shaving men by force in the districts of El Haj Yousef, El Tawidat, El Karton, and El Radmiyat, as part of “the fight against negative phenomena”.

They are targeting youths, “especially those with haircuts like famous soccer players”.

Activists condemned the campaign on social media. Some call it “a terrorist attack”, others “a violation of human dignity” pointing to “human rights guaranteed by international charters”.

In August, this station reported about RSF militiamen detaining secondary school students and shaving their heads in North Darfur’s Mellit.

Last year in October, RSF members shaved a girl’s head when they discovered she belonged to the Mahameed, a northern Darfuri clan headed by notorious janjaweed leader Musa Hilal.

In December, dozens of youths and students in Sudan’s Northern State were convicted to be shaved in public for their alleged odd haircuts and wearing of inappropriate dress.